Excellent Overview

Kai Nagata's insight and precision are right on target. Harper's relationship with 'his' people is exposed for what it is: ongoing manipulation until you've outlived your usefulness. Then, begone with you.

One can't help but reflect where Harper learned to treat people this way. It is usually traced back to ones family of origin. As adults, many mimic the treatment they received from their father or mother.

More importantly, how did Canada end up with a cold blooded automaton with aspirations of grandeur as an elected leader? Are we victims? How did we get here?

In a world of autocratic governments and corporate greed, egalitarian societies like Canada become a perfect target. Relaxed, mild mannered and liberal, it is difficult for Canadians to really grasp the degree of malevolence demonstrated by the Harper regime.

Now we are learning the truth.

An excellent essay from Canada's top media.

"Indians"?!

I recognise that the word "Indian" is used in a context here where it could presumably refer to the attitudes espoused by Harper et al, but even so, come on! Aren't we well past the point of using such language to refer to Aboriginal/First Nations people? I heard Michael Enright use it yesterday on CBC, but I'm used to him being an antiquated fool. I expect more from the Tyee writers.
(Likewise, I recognise many Aboriginal people use it as a form of self-identification, but that is not the context in which it is being used here).

If Harper knows their character flaws beforehand...

...and still appoints them to the Upper Chamber, that really says something about Harper's character flaws. It says volumes. Ed is right again!

Cogent

It's a pleasure to read such a well written article.

Kia comments

Your headline about Harper and throwing someone under the bus is not correct nor is it appropriate. What is wrong at The Tyee when this type of comment is published.
FACT- Brazeau made the bed he is in and really screwed up. Harper or anyone in his position would dump this major liability instantly. Saying he threw him under the bus implies that Harper did it for other reasons.
Tell the truth and represent it properly.

Harper's extremist agenda

You have to pity people like cariboocooper who cling to the idea that Harper can do no wrong and refuse to see the facts that are right in front of them.

Harper knew about Brazeau's past as a alcohol abuser, womanizer and an arrogant racist against other natives before he gave him the senate position. But Harper needed a token native in the senate to show other natives that he's not racist, that he has natives best interests at heart while he forces the pipelines and super tankers into their territories that'll destroy their environment. That shows Harper's arrogance, deceitfulness and treachery against Canadians while he acts like a puppet and supports oil corporations at all costs. As time passes more and more people are waking up to the ugly truth about Harper's extremist agenda and they don't like it.

Conductor

Anyone who clings to the idea Harper can do no wrong will get no pity from me.They will eventually see the truth.
I do however fully agree with the rest of your post---well spoken.

Harper

Harper is a cold blooded dictator and I am afraid for our country. He is selling us out with no concern for how the citizens care.
Brazeau was only placed there appeasement, I am sure he was investigated before his appointment. He has outlived his usefulness.

Unbecoming of a psychopath.

I have a theory that Stephen Harpers repels those of us who display behaviour unbecoming of a psychopath. I am not sure if Carson and Brazeau being thrown under the bus support my theory or not. Psychopaths in positions of authority usually end up being vilified for the damage they do.

Das bus

It's not clear to me that @cariboocooper is supporting Harper; they seem to be disagreeing with the assertion made in this article that Chairman Haper threw Brazeau "under the bus."

As much as I revile every smarmy molecule of Harper's corporeal body and his retch-inducing debased intellect, I'm not sure Nagata's assertion holds up here.

I see what he's getting at: Harper's rotten presence attracts flies. When the buzzing gets too loud, he swats.

However, no politician would jump to the rescue of a fellow party-member who has apparently (excuse the mangled metaphor) let off the emergency brake and jumped in front of the bus.

Das Boot

I think "Harpy" Harper is afraid that the electorate will give him the "das boot" with his entire party.
Just like Brian Mulroney.

I think Master Beers ...

Hey, Ed, I think Master Beers puts these "intellectual" pictures of Harper in these articles just to bug you. :))

what demagogues and dictators do

mdelta, I think you may be over-reacting a bit. For many Indigenous people the word 'aboriginal' is offensive. I saw a small informal poll on an Indigenous writer's blog asking which of four terms readers liked least. 'Aboriginal' had the most dislikes, and 'Indian' was next, 'Native' and 'First Nation' tied for the least dislikes.

When you think about it, 'aboriginal' suggests 'abnormal', which is what an Indigenous professor suggested to me. I took Aboriginal Studies at UBC Law studying Aboriginal Law. The program and courses are now changed to Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Law. My own preference is to use Indigenous and/or Indigenous Peoples depending on the context.

Regarding Harper's psychopathy, did anyone else see him trying to score political points in a press conference announcing new mental health laws the other day? His voice cracked a bit as he mentioned the dreadful murders of innocent children, and he appeared to be trying to squeeze out a sympathetic crocodile tear. Of course, he couldn't actually shed a tear because he has no true compassion for the millions of children in Canada suffering the effects of poverty that he simply refuses to even acknowledge let alone address.

Perhaps it may seem cruel that I attack Harper for what very well may have been genuine emotion. After all, protecting children from crime is a basic 'motherhood issue' that of course all citizens would agree with. But that's precisely my point. What he was doing in that press conference was manipulating the emotions of citizens, which is what demagogues and dictators do.

Pride versus self-loathing.

Brazeau was always willing to sell out his people for personal aggrandizement. He's a representative Aboriginal person like Benedict Arnold is a representative American. He showed his true and essential character by being a supporter of Harper. His self-loathing, his shame at being who he is in a world where he would have preferred to be otherwise, has corrupted his soul.

bus

This is just more proof of the real character , or lack thereof , of Stephen Harper. He will kick you when you are down !

"Tire tracks all across your

"Tire tracks all across your back, I can see you had your fun [Carson.]"

Brazeau and Attawapiskat: pawns in Harpers Northern Gateway gambit? Maybe. I tend to see the Senator, recently given his independence, as a freebie for Harper who wasn't slow in exploiting . Attawapiskat, having been fomented by Harper's government and with lasting power like an all-year sucker, seems plausibly related to the battle shaping up in BC's unceded First Nations' territories. If it is, it didn't turn out quite like he'd hoped: Harper's badass boldness is earned by stunning his prey but, unlike his blithe contempt of parliament, the courts and Elections Canada, this time Idle No More gave him a great big squirt of black ink in the eye. I rather suspect he overplayed his hand.

"But darlin' [Helena] can't you see my signal's turned from green to red?"

Why the rush? Because Harper fears losing at least his majority and maybe a minority too. After 30 years of neo-right economics, the planets are finally going out of alignment and there's so much to sell off and sabotage before the socialist cleanup crew starts its shift--it's already happening. Haste produces rashness which manifests as transparent corporate greed and corruption. It's symptomatic.

"And with you [Brazeau] I can see a traffic jam straight up ahead."

But there's one angle Nagata mightn't have considered that explains all these bus casualties: the Conservatives are made up of two parties, one of which didn't want to dance when they first met and, as observed, are being driven crazy by Harper's distain for democracy; only a firm hand keeps them in line.

"You just like cross town traffic."

The Lure of Dysfunction

For ideologues who contend that our politics are a brilliant sifting of the world's best minds, there's a sage reminder from ancient history to deflate the conceit, somewhat.

Tacitus, 2000 years ago, wrote: "What service warrants the good will of tyrants : crimes on their behalf."

Replace the word "tyrants" with "corporations." Et voila! Page one! Tomorrow's next scandal.

Think we've escaped the self-destructive lunacy of ancient Rome? Then why are so many social, legal and economic policies, (idiocies we know already to be dead wrong) so beloved by so many politicians and business leaders?

Might there be a continuum of 2000 years of criminal inducements, offered by higher ups (to protect themselves from Risk) accepted voluntarily by lower ranks, to further the personal advancement of lower ranks, at their own expense?

Wouldn't persons offered such poisoned refreshment be carefully selected to be expendable? Wouldn't this process reflect a culture undermining itself? Haven't we already seen that this 'go for broke' and "double-down" process made compelling sense to every empire hell-bent on failure?

I could be wrong.

Pls advise...

Having relatives among First Nations...

Having talked to my close relatives among the local folks living and not living on a reservation, they appear to like the term "First Nations" in referring to themselves. This could vary among First Nations people across Canada, but the local group abhor the term "Indian" applied to themselves. They also don't mind the term Salish being used as they are part of the Salish (many, many relatives)in Washington State.

Wrong from the start!!!

To me a First Nation Person Being a Conservative is just so wrong!!!

Sorry but all I see is that Conservatives have no use or respect for First Nations People.

Conservatives just want to rape the Land and Rivers.... No it is all wrong!!!

I fully understand Harper hiring this nutbar!!!

Harper is wareing this guy well, do you not agree!!!

Nothing has changed since the

Nothing has changed since the days of Tacitus, or when Socrates was forced by the then 1% to drink hemlock.

Humanity has always been ruled by faith based beliefs, psychologically conditioned from childhood to jump into service and sacrifice, when certain words are used.

Today the magic words for inducing human self sacrifice are "conservative" and "economic efficiency", based on imaginary figures controlled by an elite.

The other most misused words are "freedom", "free enterprise", "individualism" etc. a few more.

The question is, will humanity ever wake up to the fraud and how in hell could ruling elites get away with their crime waves for thousands of years, destroying and enslaving everything and everybody in their service?

Ed Deak.

Can we please calm down already?

Yeah , do Whales like being called "Orcas"?

We are so damned sensitive that nobody knows how to address another person, without doing a secret background check.

I happen to be blessed with a surname that only few can pronounce correctly, should I get uptight about that?

Harper is manipulating us all yet again

...do not get sucked into his cons ..

The senate should not be abolished..the senators should be elected, a background check should be done to see if they have any shady past or criminal convictions..

and all senators should have to go thorough the same questioning and review process that those who Obama is nominating for his cabinet have to go through..

Harper would love to have the Senate abolished cause then he would have free reign to pass any legislation that he wants.. the senate now acts as the final step in passing any new legislation or bills

Has anybody thought that maybe Harper appoints crooks to the senate just to make the senate look bad so people will be so angry that he sucks them into wanting it abolished... If he actually appointed suitable senators, Canadians have a better opinion of the senate...

are Canadians so gullible or blind that they cannot see what Harper is trying to do?? He is playing head games and we are falling for it by saying "let's abolish the senate"

anyhow the senate will never be abolished cause all provinces as stated in the Constitution have to agree to abolish it an that will never happen...

And the more Stephen pulled

And the more Stephen pulled on the thread...the smaller the cloak became until he sat there with his "Robe of Fabulousness" was but a pile of "loose ends" at his feet.

Brazeau should never have been appointed in the first place

This guy threw himself under the bus.

I think the writer went slightly off road with his analysis. What I find appalling in Harper's "disappointment" is he's now distancing himself from the appointment he made.

If he'd not appointed this clown in the first place, there'd be nothing to talk about.

The same goes for Wallin and Duffy.

Brazeau, a thug and a grifter, was never "useful" to Canadians, including aboriginals, whom he has done nothing but denigrate.

SH

SH it should be realized is an easterner trying to pretend he is a Westerner. The gweenparty may well get him elected again. They did last time.

Another point...

Another point missing from this is:

By appointing Brazeau, Harper gets to perpetuate the Native stereotype in the typical minds the average MSM reader in Canada.

" Oh look, another First Nations person with alcohol and social problems. He got everything handed to him for nothing and he screwed it up."

Look at any MSM message board to confirm this mindset amongst Canadians.

Typical, divide and conquer politics...

You're never alone with a schitzophrenic

The article is saying that Harper should have not tossed this guy from the Conservative caucus. I wonder what the writer would have said if he kept him? As to the comments about Harper purposefully appointing him as a senator to set up him for a fall to prove a point, that seems like conspiracy theory thinking. I am not a fan of any politician, of any polical stripe but wow that kind of thinking is way, way out there.