Now is the Time for The Progressive Vision: People - Planet - Prosperity

We Greens have an opening. For the first time, all the other parties are on the defensive, unsure of their footing. Now is the time to put forward a compelling vision of Canada - and to relentlessly expose the hypocrisy of the other parties. A vision is not simply a collection of policies, it is an inspiring statement of what we believe, of the country we will create.

The Conservatives are not trusted: their leader seems boastful, arrogant, and sneaky, and many Canadians suspect them of having a hidden agenda. The Liberals are not respected: their leader is being stabbed in the back by his own party and savaged in the media, and many Canadians still see them as a corrupt party with no vision. The NDP are no longer considered a credible force: while their leader often rates highly, their ideas are tired and do not resonate with Canadians, and few take them seriously. The NDP is becoming the 'protest vote,' while the Greens are rapidly moving into a position of serious contention.

We have this opening, this chance to show that we are credible, that we have the best ideas for our time. To seize this opportunity, we must do two things:

• Communicate our progressive vision far-and-wide. It is far more than policies - the policies come from the vision and are not inspiring in themselves. Only the vision and values have the power to lift people up, to rally people together.
• Expose the hypocrisy and do-nothingness of the other parties. The reason we find ourselves in the various messes we are in is because of them, and we must say so.

The Empire: Power is the Ultimate Aphrodisiac
The Empire Vision: Dominance and struggle are 'natural,' therefore a hierarchy of the strong over the weak is also natural.
The Values of Empire:

• Those who fight their way to the top deserve all the rewards they can take
• Any means is acceptable to get to the top
• Dominance over people and the natural world is normal and right
• Man is Godlike and therefore above natural laws

The results of Empire:

• Corporations uber alles
• Climate catastrophe (creation of Hell-on-Earth)
• Loss of humanity and morality

We must diligently expose the hypocrisy of those who believe in Empire. People like Stephen Harper and George Bush, for example, claim to be Christians, yet act in most unChristian ways and impose very unChristian policies. We must point this out, repeatedly, to show many Conservative voters that they have been duped by people claiming to share their values in order to steal their votes - and their spirituality. And now Mr. Harper and company want to bind us even more closely to the United States, a country that is clearly in trouble economically and morally.

The Liberals claim to counter Conservative influence, but really, they just let the Conservatives do their dirty work. After the Conservatives pushed through the highly unpopular and anti-Canadian Free Trade Agreement (Corporate Trade Agreement, really), we, the people reduced them to two (2!) seats in the next election. And did the Liberals renegotiate that agreement, or even attempt to? No, because it suited their corporate sponsors - the same corporations that gave money to the Conservatives. And while the Liberals signed the Kyoto Accord, they made sure our pollution kept going up-and-up rather than moving us to new, green technology.

And the NDP? Power-grubbers like the other two, with tired ideology. The NDP claims to be in favour of proportional representation...but they have yet to implement it in any province where they have had a majority. And they are as tied to global corporations - through big unions - as are the other parties.

That leaves a vacuum of vision and integrity, if we step into the breach.

The Progressive Vision: People - Planet - Prosperity
The Progressive Vision: Humans can choose their behaviour, therefore cooperation for the betterment of individuals and everyone is the sensible course.
The Progressive Values:

• Responsible stewardship because humans are a part of nature - people, planet, and prosperity are indivisible
• Our society and economy are prosperous and secure
• We live in a caring community, so individual and community rights are equal
• Freedom and democracy require an open and responsive government
• Canada is a leading world citizen, setting an example for the rest of the world to follow

The other parties, especially the Conservatives and NDP, are doing their best to craft some sort of emotionally compelling vision that will capture the hearts of Canadians. Mr. Bush and the far-right have been extraordinarily successful because they have created such a vision - and the progressives have instead been fighting over individual issues.

The corporate interests have divided us, and we have let ourselves be divided. We have been fighting over individual policies rather than stepping back and taking a look at the big picture, and as a result we win the occasional battle and are losing the war.

If we lose this war, civilization and humanity and finished. That sounds strong, but as many of you know, that is the prediction of the top climate scientists. We cannot survive significant climate change, and none of the other parties will change quickly enough.

We have an opening now. Mr. Bush is rapidly being exposed as a fraud, and his support is crumbling. The vision he has pushed for so long is now in question, and thus there is room for a competing, more inclusive, more egalitarian, fairer vision to take its place. The American Way is becoming repellant to more and more people, and so more Canadians will be open to charting an independent course.

This is our time, if we seize it. We must consolidate our support and communicate our vision before the Liberals replace Mr. Dion with a strong leader. Once we pass a tipping point, we will be unstoppable provided we act with integrity and present a shining picture of what Canada could and should be.

Lester Pearson once said that the 20th century belongs to Canada. We did pretty well...but we could have done so much more. Canada should be leading the new green economy. Canada should be a leading moral authority in this world. And Canada, with our bountiful natural resources and diverse humanity, should be far more independent.

We Greens can lead our country to prosperity and independence and world leadership, if we show Canadians that our vision is the course to chart.