Crazy times indeed. But one thing I don't think anyone disagrees with is that Harper definitely stepped in it this time.
The opposition to the non-con coalition is understandable and expected, and of course there's enough money to fan the flames. The parallels to how politics is carried out in the US (or has been) are disturbing, with the increased us-vs-them driving people apart more than pulling them together. Sad, disappointing, pathetic, totally predictable.
Even the arguments that a coalition is undemocratic because Canadians didn't vote for a Dion etc. government... it would make sense if the past election was about electing a president, rather than a parliament. While Harper may want to think he's president, and want everyone else to believe that, he's beholden to the House of Commons, not the people directly.
Of course, the real conclusion to draw is that looking at all the parties and the way they've been behaving, I'd hate to see any of them with majority control. The best (but highly unlikely) outcome of this coalition thing is that the parties start to genuinely work together and communicate in a more non-partisan way that is actually in the best interests of Canada, rather than finding every opportunity to take a punch at each other.
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