Harperism: How Stephen Harper and his think tank colleagues have transformed Canada

by Donald Gutstein

Margaret Thatcher transformed British political life forever. So did Ronald Reagan in the United States. Now Canada has experienced a similar, dramatic shift to a new kind of politics, which author Donald Gustein terms Harperism. Among its key These and other essential elements of Harperism flow from neo-liberal economic theories propounded by the Austrian economist Friedrich von Hayek and his U.S. disciples. They inspired Thatcherism and Reaganism. Stephen Harper has taken this neo-liberalism much further in many key areas. As Donald Gutstein shows, Harper has successfully used a strategy of incremental change coupled with denial of the underlying neo-liberal analysis that explains these hard-to-understand measures. The success of Harperism is no accident. Donald Gutstein documents the links between the politicians, think tanks, journalists, academics, and researchers who nurture and promote each other's neo-liberal ideas. They do so using funds provided by ultra-rich U.S. donors, by Canadian billionaires like Peter Munk, and by many big corporations--all of whom stand to gain from the ideas and policies the Harperites develop and push. This book casts new light on the last ten years of Canadian politics. It documents the challenges that Harperism--with or without Stephen Harper--will continue to offer to the many Canadians who do not share this pro-market world view.

Genres: Politics, Canada, History, Nonfiction, Biography

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[The Conspiracy is Capitalism · Rating 5 out of 5]

The post-WWII social welfare reforms in the 1st World (to cope with Capitalism's boom-bust havoc on the domestic working class) were systematically dismantled by Neoliberalism, the ideology that "the Market" (corporations) should govern all.
This book provides an excellent overview of the global assault, following the money as it made its way from corporations to think tanks, sprawling into politics, media, education, and culture. Canadian readers are treated with the names of Canadian corporations, think tanks, foundations, media outlets, university departments, and individual pillagers.
Next up should be Canada's foreign policy, as documented by Yves Engler.

[Kathleen McRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read and exactly what has befallen Canada as a nation.Harper believes most citizens are too ill educated to make decisions about their own political affairs.His campaign to have canadians view themselves as strong and true and a warrior nation patriotic to the core as opposed to the old view that we were an much needed group of peacekeepers in the world.In the new booklet given to immigrant canadians and fashioned by the conservatives the word war appears 55 times as compared to the Chretien Martin version in which it does not appear.This book goes thru most of the unhealthy changes this regime has introduced with a good explanation of the ideology espoused by this government.

[rabble.ca]

http://rabble.ca/books/reviews/2014/1...

Review by Amira Elghawhaby

Does it ever feel like you've just woken up and found yourself living in a country you don't recognize? How did Canada get to where it is today -- a more militaristic, nationalistic, free-market-at-all-costs place that seems to have shed its world-renowned reputation as a land of peacekeepers, multiculturalism, social responsibility and scientific advancement?

It hasn't been by accident. In fact, as Donald Gutstein points out in the opening phrase of his book, Harperism: How Stephen Harper and his Think Tank Colleagues Have Transformed Canada, this is exactly what Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised he'd do.

And he did it with a little bit of help from his friends.

With an academic thoroughness that is admirable and rarely tedious, Gutstein systematically tackles the central themes of the neoliberal agenda and how they were "incrementally" incorporated into Harper government policy. These themes, laid out chapter by chapter, are: winning the battle of ideas, rejecting unions, countering the environmental threat to markets, and fashioning Canada as a "great" nation.

In essence, support for these various themes have been nurtured and promoted from within a well-financed cabal of right-wing think tanks that continue to spew out policy papers and ideas to support a specific worldview at odds with most progressive national and international movements and thought.

Read more here: http://rabble.ca/books/reviews/2014/1...

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this book more stars, but I found the topic so abhorrent that more stars might seem to be an endorsement of the subject matter.

I would SO LOVE to list this book as FICTION - a badly written, apocalyptic, rise of the anti-Christ sort of book, but alas I can't. It is about the rise of neo-liberalism, neo-cons, libertarians - take your pick. Basically a book about people who have drunk of the kool-ade and have fallen for the visions that appeared - a backtracking to a by-gone era of another century, a market society which if it does have a government, it is not for the people but to aid the market society. And to help maintain this life you must have perpetual war. I kid you not - a true life horror story. And Harper has pushed the fast-forward button. I fear Canada and the world will never recover from this travesty.

[Malcolm Pellettier · Rating 5 out of 5]

In-fcking-furiating. tmesis.

I read dude's "It's not a conspiracy theory" about the Cdn council of CEO's myriad anti-democratic plans and measures to intertwine the US and Canada both economically and legally. He's very capable as an academic.

Just the audacity and the simplicity of what these yahoos have managed to pull off, globally,is something to behold. It's time the left did exactly the same thing.

For eg, staying on message by labelling the neo-cons as the extremist, fascistic wingnut despots/tyrants that they are. If Mr. Harper can get away with repeatedly calling social democrats "socialists" in the house of commons, it's time to start calling him the plutocratic fascist that he is. simple.

[Ron Nye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent research leads to the disturbing conclusion that the difficulty this country is in as parliamentary democracy is undermined and abandoned in favour of a governance determined by market forces goes much further than Harper and his cabinet. Should be paired with a reading of Harris's Party of One.

[Max · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fascinating premise, and certainly a very interesting book, but dry and academic. It certainly should be required reading for Canadians as the federal election approaches.

[Alexandra Boesel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harper is on a mission to forever change the governing system of this country. We cannot allow this to happen. This book is not for the faint of heart.

[Stanley Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

love the Hayek reference books

[Tadas Talaikis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good review of the rise of egocentric ultracapitalism. In Canada this time in particular.