Alberta Wars Episode I: Harper, The Phantom Menace

It's been difficult for me to focus on writing this past month. It might be hard to believe but beneath the cool persona I present for the purpose of political debate this shit weighs pretty heavy on me. It's frustrating, because in addition to fighting a corrupt government the growing number of people discovering the reality of the situation face a mental duopoly of seeing the corruption but having to have faith the political system can fix it.

It can't, and I've accepted that for a long time now. The democracy we exist in is a sham manipulated by big money interests and those that can pollute the air waves best. I see a lot of pain, and confusion, from those witnessing the UCP's destructive policy. And I get it.

There is a growing desire to fight this government, both from "the left", and factions of "the right". It's for different reasons but for the moment that's not important, there is also a growing understanding of the urgency of what is occurring. More and more I am seeing people come to the realization that the objective of Kenney's government is to be completed this term.

What is missing however is the needed self-reflection required to see how we got here in the first place. Alberta's very identity is intertwined with it's politics as an excellent piece put out by CBC discussed, and that makes our populace easily manipulated.

Readers of this blog will know that I have repeatedly referred to our interactions with the UCP as a war. We, Albertans, are under attack. They are not conservative, they are a criminal cabal wrapping themselves in the conservative flag to pander to their audience as they loot everything from under you. I wasn't fucking kidding. I'm not over-exaggerating. The quicker Albertans come to this understanding, the better chance we have of actually defeating them.

When I began my guerrilla offensive I already knew all of this was the case and planned accordingly but I understand for many of you new to the political realm the opacity and actions of the UCP can be quite shocking.

I have titled this post 'The Phantom Menace' after the Star Wars movie. It's hard to provide thematic consistency with the UCP's current chaos but I have been watching a lot of Star Wars lately and I can't help but notice how the UCP's agenda mirrors the Star Wars plot. A senator, that manipulates a crisis to become chancellor, who then ignites a civil war with separatists and uses that support to build a grand army and give himself special powers - not unlike Jason Kenney.

So this will be the first post in a new series: Alberta Wars.

A long time ago

in an economy far far away...

ALBERTA

WARS

Episode I

Harper, The Phantom Menace

Screenshot from Jason Kenney's 'A Premier's day in the life'

The UCP love when referring to Stephen Harper to refer to him by his former title as Prime Minister rather than his current title of CEO of Harper & Associates, that boasts proudly on the front page of it's website (which uses the domain of Harper's retired political campaign):

"Harper & Associates combines the global network, experience and insight of a G-7 Leader to create value for clients."

Combines the global network? Stephen Harper makes his current living by using his political connections to "create value" for clients. Doesn't that make you feel great that he was part of the unaccountable "sounding board" Kenney's infamous "recovery panel" consisted of?

No report eh? Any minutes? Any record at all of your "recommendations" and the research that backs them? Just a bunch of good ol' industry insiders acting as a "sounding board" out of the goodness of their hearts, like Stephen Harper of Harper & Associates.#ableg https://t.co/kGTR6UoyZ1

— Richard Fantin (@RichardFantin) July 6, 2020

Kenney has posted pictures of him and Harper attending a hockey game, Harper has visited his office (obviously many times). Harper was beside him the entire campaign. Harper was featured in the UCP's AGM video as I noted in Alberta's Great Panderer. The speech writer Kenney is refusing to fire even despite 3 treaty nations calling for his dismissal and possibly jeopardizing the fake bullshit he's been doing to First Nations to get them to take loans to support Alberta's dying industries: one of Harper's guys.

Dentons, the law firm that a judge just ruled was not a conflict of interest with Doug Schweitzer is partnered with Harper & Associates and they share an office in Calgary. A lawyer from Dentons was one of the first fake "investors" to support Kenney's Canadian Propaganda Centre - which if you remember way back when Kenney's narrative was still somewhat coherent was created to fight the foreign funded radicals the Dentons inquiry that was just extended and given an extra million for "due diligence" is supposed to undercover.

Lmao. Thanks Joe from Dentons. pic.twitter.com/JccCUuutLL

— Richard Fantin (@RichardFantin) December 17, 2019

The UCP's bullshit separatist speak is pandering to Harper's old firewall agenda. Harper, Harper, everywhere.

If Albertans want to fight this government the first thing they need to understand is that Alberta is being run from the shadows by an investment banker that brags about using political influence to "create value for clients".

Kenney's entire narrative and crisis he was elected on was crafted and distributed via Harper's propaganda networks. Harper, the phantom menace.

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Richard Fantin is a self-taught software developer who has mostly throughout his career focused on financial applications and high frequency trading. He currently works for CenturyLink

Nazayh Zanidean is a Project Coordinator for a mid-sized construction contractor in Calgary, Alberta. He enjoys writing as a hobby on topics that include foreign policy, international human rights, security and systemic media bias.