Stephen Harper and the "Almighty Dollar"
Prime Minister Harper’s much touted consumer protection law announcement this past Tuesday came with the usual editorial comments politicians throw into these things. For at least the 2nd time during his Prime Ministership Harper has uttered the pejorative phrase “the almighty dollar.”
Here’s the quote, as given by the National Post’s lead editorial on Thursday:
He detailed new regulation that will “improve our safety and our health,” while getting tough with nasty companies “who care more about the almighty dollar than the safety of their customers.”
As I pointed out last time he used it, the almighty dollar is the kind of “Hargrovian” comment you would find Michael Moore using. It is a leftist phrase meant to demean scary capitalists like Harper.
After using the phrase twice, and after Tuesday’s legislation and yesterdays aerospace announcement, I’m beginning to think Jean Cretien was right all along, Harper has a scary hidden agenda – if your conservative.
While I agree that that phrase is out of place in Harper’s mouth, you have to consider two things:
1- Speechwriting is about effect, and sometimes using an expression of the kind increases your visibility.
2- Harper does need to reach out to the middle of the road if he wants to win a majority in the next election. If that means weaving a leftist thread in his conservative cloak, then so be it.
The last two announcements may be seen as an attack to free market – and its occasional carelessness – but beyond that, it also shows he is standing up for Canada and Canadian interests, beyond corporate interests.
My two cents.
(dont mind the deleted item, accidently posted mid comment).