The Theatre of Shadows: On Freedom's Cage and Power's Dance

Behold, dear readers, a most peculiar spectacle unfolds in the grand theatre of Canadian politics, where the puppets dance and their masters pull strings with varying degrees of visibility.

O how the mighty have fallen! These self-proclaimed champions of liberty, these merchants of freedom-speak, what are they but gilded cages wherein even the bird has forgotten how to sing?

In this land of sleepers, where the masses drift between consciousness and slumber, two forces wage war over the sacred right of speech. On one side stands the Speaker of the House, Greg Fergus, wielding his ceremonial mace like Zeus his thunderbolt. On the other, Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative chieftain who speaks of freedom while fashioning chains of gold for his followers.

The Conservative Party, in its infinite wisdom (or perhaps infinite folly), raises a clarion call about censorship, proclaiming that three of their warriors were cast out from the sacred chamber for speaking what they term "TRUTH" - always in capital letters, for truth apparently speaks louder when shouted.

See how they wrestle in the mud of mediocrity! These last men who cry "freedom" while clutching their comfort, who speak of truth while whispering in prescribed verses!

Yet what delicious irony! For while they point accusatory fingers at the Speaker's throne, their own leader maintains a grip so tight upon his flock that they dare not breathe without permission. "Everybody is being watched," whispers a Conservative source, speaking of Poilievre's iron rule. They are forbidden even to speak with members of other parties, as if truth might be contagious!

In this land of the sleeping, where comfort and security reign supreme, the masses appear content to watch this theatre of absurdity. They neither see nor care about the profound contradiction: a party that rails against censorship while muzzling its own voice.

Observe these shepherds who fear their own sheep might stray! These leaders who speak of empowerment while building walls of control! Is this not the very essence of the last man's paradise - where freedom is but a word to be brandished, never truly embraced?

The statistics tell their own tale - from 2003 to 2016, not a single parliamentarian was expelled from the chamber. Yet now, in our age of supposed enlightenment, MPs are cast out with increasing frequency, like leaves in an autumn wind. Seven of the last eight exiles wore Conservative colors, including the great freedom-speaker himself, Poilievre.

But let us peer beneath this veil of appearance, dear readers. Is it not possible that these ejections are worn as badges of honor, transforming punishment into performance? The very act of being "silenced" becomes a megaphone for their message of victimhood.

How they revel in their chains! These last men who make martyrs of themselves while forging their own fetters! They have created new idols and now bow before them, calling it rebellion!

Poilievre speaks of "small government" and "big citizens," yet presides over a kingdom where his MPs dare not speak without permission. He decries Justin Trudeau's "big and powerful government," claiming it makes the Prime Minister "big and powerful," while himself wielding power with precision that would make Machiavelli blush.

"It takes humility," declares Poilievre, "to lead a small and lean government." Yet where is the humility in demanding absolute obedience? Where is the wisdom in silencing the very voices that might bring forth new ideas?

See how they dance! These practitioners of power play their game of shadows, speaking of freedom while tightening their grip, preaching humility while demanding submission. They are but actors in a play they themselves do not understand!

And so, dear readers, we find ourselves in this curious position: a party that claims to champion free speech while maintaining strict control over its members' voices, crying censorship while practicing it, preaching freedom while enforcing conformity. The irony would be delicious were it not so tragic.

In the end, we must ask: Who truly threatens free speech more - the Speaker who enforces parliamentary rules, or the leader who demands unquestioning loyalty? Perhaps the real threat lies not in either, but in our collective willingness to accept this theater of shadows as reality.

Awaken, ye slumbering masses! Your democracy dies not with thunderous applause but with whispered compliance and carefully crafted messages!