BESLER: You didn’t say how Harper defends globalism, you hint that he brings it together with populism. How does he accomplish this?

I just finished reading Stephen Harper’s, new book, “Right Here, Right Now”.  I was interested to see how Harper would bring together his populist views, with his advocacy of globalism.

On that topic, he stated that, “The right conservative path is not to bemoan today’s populism, it is to listen to it and learn from it.” He suggests that not doing so will lead to a destructive left-wing populism of which society may never recover.

I am paraphrasing here however, I believe former Prime Minister Stephen Harper is essentially saying:

1. Andrew Scheer messed up, should have kept Maxime Bernier in the party 
2. People are rejecting Trudeau’s “post nationalism” 
3. They won’t return to the Scheer style Conservative elitism they also recently rejected 
4. They will support Maxime Bernier, and values-based populist conservative ideas 
5. If the conservative base won’t unite around values-based populist conservatism, then perhaps someone like Alberta’s Rachael Notley or BC’s Andrew Weaver could be next in line for high office. God help us then.

In talking about the book, with political friends, I was asked, “You didn't say how Harper defends globalism, you hint that he brings it together with populism.  How?”.

That is a good question, which I too was curious about.  How does he justify what, at this time, seems to be two contradictory positions?

Personally, I don’t think he was actually able to defend globalism very well, although it seems as he hopes for it to galvanize. He seems to lay responsibility at the feet of the “anywhere’s*”, to better understand what he believes is their responsibility to the “somewhere’s**”.  As to who these anywhere’s, and somewhere’s? … see below for my thoughts on that.  

Meantime, I wasn’t getting off easy, as this observation pointed out to me:

“Harper is an elitist. His screed is about how the globalists - the Anywheres - can manipulate the yokels using the existing political structures. It is a failing approach from a failed politician.”

My thought?  I’ll just say, ‘Quite possibly’, as it is in part an admittance of those failures. 

Regardless of all that, Stephen Harper’s, new book, “Right Here, Right Now” is a thoughtful read. Although I don’t agree with every position. I do recommend the book. 


BEN BESLER ... has been active in provincial politics for many years. Former Vice President of the BC Conservative Party and Regional Organizer for the successful Fight HST citizens initiative. He offers a often colourful perspective to conservative thought. 


*“Anywhere’s” are people that live anywhere, and therefore don’t see themselves attached to a nation state. “They are globally oriented in their careers and personal lives”.  

**“Somewhere’s” on the other hand are those whose “social life is connected to a church, service club, restaurant-bar, sports team, or community group. You only leave your region for brief vacations. Your values can broadly be described as localist”.