Nothing makes me appreciate Stephen Harper more than the moral corruption that characterizes political life in the nations to which Canada is closest: the U.S., Britain and France. Last week I wrote about the bizarrely amoral world of French socialism, but failed to point out how much better the left still were than France's conservatives, including the erratic, hyper fellow who is now president.

The narrative of Canada's role in the Afghan civil war as told by the country's mainstream media is designed to lead readers and viewers to two inescapable conclusions:

First, that after 10 years, Canada's involvement in the conflict has come to a definitive end.

Second, that thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of Canada's troops, at least 157 of whom have died with scores more maimed physically and mentally, the West has triumphed unconditionally in Afghanistan.

Alas, the balance of probability is high that both these yarns are baloney.

It is equally likely that the people spinning these Afghan fairy tales know very well they are not true, and that they are designed principally to serve the political needs of the country's Conservative government.

Wildrose Alliance Leader Danielle Smith's identification of her party with British Prime Minister David Cameron's destructive "Big Society" is the first significant blunder of her remarkably successful campaign to turn a right-wing fringe party into a serious contender for power, thereby moving the goalposts of Alberta's political playing field far to the right.

Those who attended last night's Wildrose Alliance fundraiser in Edmonton got to hear Leader Danielle Smith passionately dismiss "'sinister-sounding' and 'meaningless' warnings that her party is full of right-wing extremists masquerading as moderates."

As Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty worked themselves into a swivet not so long ago warning Canadians about the dire consequences of an imaginary future coalition between the Liberals and the New Democrats, they were impervious to the new coalition threat taking shape just over their horizon.