Hearts of Gold, Brains of Mush

Canadian Jewish News columnist Daniel Wogelerenter, a self-declared "progressive" and damn proud of it, is salivating over the prospect of Stephen Harper, Israel's most stalwart supporter on the world stage, going down to defeat for failing to demonstrate sufficient empathy for Syrian refugees (most of whom are likely to have it in for Jewry in general and Israel in particular). In this week's CJN, the exquisitely sensitive but demonstrably clueless Mr. W. (he has said, for example, that NDP leader Thomas Mulcair "gets it" re Israel) writes that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's

initial choked-up reaction to Alan Kurdi's death, and subsequent reassertion of his government's anti-terror bona fides isn't the kind of leadership many Canadians are seeking. A Postmedia poll released last week found roughly half disapprove of his approach and want to see a dramatic increase in refugee resettlement.

I would venture that that half are planning to vote for the Liberals or the NDP, and are looking for the sort of leadership that doesn't emphasize "anti-terror bona fides" and backing Israel in the face of global condemnation but that hews to the squishy feel-goodism of "social justice." An allegiance to that dogma in the face of ongoing threats from hardened jihadis--including Khamenei's wannabe bomb squad over in Iran--pretty much ensures the demise of freedom, democracy and Israel.

But won't the hearts of progressives be filled to the brim with love and compassion and rainbows and unicorns as our civilization withers and dies on the vine? And isn't that--the full heart of the self-adoring progressive--and not the "heartlessness" of Stephen Harper and his "anti-terror bona fides," what really counts?

As for the notion that the Harper government has stymied immigration from Zion-and-freedom-despising lands: anyone who has ever attending an Al Quds Day at Queen's Park, replete with angry Shias and as far the eye can see decked out in their colourful homeland garb, knows that that's as delusional as the idea that you can resettle thousands upon thousands of young Syrian men without it having a negative impact on the health of your body politic, the government's "anti-terror bona fides" notwithstanding.