Last week it was revealed that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office created an "enemy list" to include in briefing books for newly appointed Cabinet members. 

Pundits were quick to point out that US President Richard Nixon also had such a list of enemies that his office maintained.

However, the enemy list was only a small part of a much larger strategy that Nixon dreamed up and, as history shows, he was never able to fully execute his plan. Unfortunately for the many Canadians on Harper's list, the Prime Minister and his office are now fulfilling Nixon's dream. 

Nixon's list was dubbed the "opponents list" by his political staffers and was part of a larger strategy they called the "Political Enemies Project." This disturbing strategy came to light during the Senate Committee hearings looking into the Watergate scandal that eventually forced President Nixon to resign in disgrace in August, 1974.

But the comparison between the Harper and Nixon lists goes much further than this enemy list business. In fact, the strategies being employed by Harper against his opponents are virtually indistinguishable from Nixon's. Harper is fully executing Nixon's strategy – but with greater success.

Nixon's "Political Enemies Strategy" was to create a list of political opponents and people unfriendly to his administration and then go after those people and organizations via tax audits by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Nixon and his staffers knew that an audit by the IRS has the power to bring an organization to its knees. Audits take up massive amounts of staff time, and expensive lawyers and accountants usually have to be hired to meet all the requests of the auditors.

An overview of the strategy is contained in a memo between two Nixon White House staffers:

"This memorandum addresses the matter of how we can maximize the fact of our incumbency in dealing with persons known to be active in their opposition to our Administration; stated a bit more bluntly—how we can use the available federal machinery to screw our political enemies."

The enemy list was handed over to the IRS by the White House, but luckily for those on the list, the head commissioner refused to cooperate with the Nixon enemy plan.

Nixon's presidency would go down as one of the lowest points in US political history, and it would have been even lower if Nixon was able to fully execute his audit-the-enemy strategy.

Flash forward to Canada today. Not only do we now know that Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office maintains a political enemy list, we also saw an extra $8 million dollars in new funding directed to Revenue Canada last year "to audit charities suspected of receiving foreign funding to finance political advocacy beyond the accepted 10% of overall activities allowed under CRA codes."

The audit funds became available after the Harper government named environmental groups and First Nations as 'adversaries' in a campaign to increase exports of tar sands bitumen to Europe and after an open letter from Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver characterized prominent environmental groups and citizens as 'foreign funded radicals' and ideological extremists.

Today full-blown audits are being executed against environmental and progressive organizations – the same groups that have been critical of Harper and his government policies. Right-wing, industry friendly groups, like the Fraser Institute, who receive large sums of cash from US sources, have not been the subject of audits by Revenue Canada. 

These Revenue Canada audits have had their intended effect and are bringing groups who oppose Conservative government policies to a screeching halt with endless amounts of paperwork and information requests from Revenue Canada staff. Groups subjected to an audit also experience a chilling effect and are reluctant to speak out aggressively against the government for fear of being audited again.

Almost 40 years after Nixon resigned his presidency, Harper is picking up where the disgraced US president left off.

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As political journalist, Susan Delacourt, reported in the Toronto Star, Conservatives won’t say WHO is on “enemy” lists. No wonder!! It has chilling echoes of Tricky Dick, and Watergate. But as the author of a new book, Banned on the Hill: a true story about dirty oil and government censorship, it did NOT come as any shock to me that Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper keeps an #‎EnemyList. 

I am on it.

The evidence has been piling up. Over the past 2 years, I've obtained 2,172 Access-to-Information documents — all related to me — from 4 different federal departments.

They REALLY don't like me talking about climate change.

Foreign Affairs spokesperson Jean-Bruno Villeneuve said in an internal email, "The artist's work dealt mostly with climate change and was advocating a message that was contrary to government policies on the subject." That statement is a chilling example of how free expression in our democracy is being squashed.

If Art has to agree with government policies, then 'Art Equals Government Propaganda'.

I still find it shocking that the Canadian Government warned people not to show my artwork. I first realized what they were doing in Spring 2011…

What happened to me is political interference — bureaucrats were just following orders from Ottawa. Just like the newly leaked "Enemy List" email. It clearly shows that the Prime Minister's office (PMO) is instructing bureaucrats to identify and freeze out "enemies."

LEAKED EMAIL FROM THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE Reported by Global News, Toronto Star, PostMedia and CBC:

Interestingly, the PMO's office is out of reach of access-to-information requests. The only reason we are seeing the email is because it was leaked. Whereas, the evidence I have is through access-to-information requests. See the internal government email below which is heavily blacked-out for reasons of "international security" and conversations with, or about, a minister. Note the disturbing subject line and then imagine what is hiding under the black marker. (The Office of the Information Commissioner is currently investigating the legitimacy of the redactions.) embiggen

So how can Canadians show the Prime Minister that putting people on #EnemyLists is Evil? (And against democracy)

Use social media!! On July 16th at about 11pm, a friend direct messaged me: "Do you know of anyone making up "I'm on Harper's Enemy List" or variants T-shirts? Otherwise if I have art I can print iron-on decals…" I responded within minutes: "Clever. Great idea. Let me talk to Bill. We could do it on Cafe Press." By 1:45am, we had created the t-shirt using an illustration of mine of Harper from my book, Banned on the Hill: a true story about dirty oil and government censorship

We crafted the slogan so that it picked up on Twitter's use of hashtags and also used @pmHarper to be in tune with the platform. (It also works well that Harper announced his cabinet shuffle on Twitter showing that it's a platform he uses.) Buy the #EnemyList T-shirt or Tank top on Cafepress: www.cafepress.com/frankejames Here are some of the tweets that show it's reception…

I want one!!! MT @stephenlautens Gotta love @frankejames's #EnemyList tee What to wear on tours of the Hill pic.twitter.com/m6mhI157hI #cdnpoli

— deBeauxOs (@deBeauxOs1) July 17, 2013

Gotta love @frankejames's #EnemyList tee shirt – Good to wear on tours of the Hill http://t.co/zUCYvZPwz6 pic.twitter.com/UTu2WLrq48 #cdnpoli

— Stephen Lautens (@stephenlautens) July 17, 2013

@frankejames A fashion statement for Free Expression, perfect compliment to my new book, Banned on the Hill.#cdnpoIi pic.twitter.com/wf2fdx7EsM

— Stephen Elmy (@StephenElmy) July 17, 2013

All the cool kids are going to want one of @frankejames t-shirts: http://t.co/FVx7UAruO4 #cdnpoli

— Angella MacEwen (@AMacEwen) July 17, 2013

@Belgraves @TraceyKent Of course @frankejames is the one to come up with the tshirt!

— Matthew Barlow (@Matthew_Barlow) July 17, 2013

@frankejames seen #TrickyDick Nixon's Enemies List? The inspiration for #SleazySteve Harper's #enemieslist http://t.co/ZFuxUT89xV

— Pete Quily (@pqpolitics) July 17, 2013

Are YOU on Harper's #Enemy List? Wear it proudly! Get your own t-shirt or tank top! http://t.co/XJNSeDLIqm #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/TX2tS3yMA1

— Franke James (@frankejames) July 17, 2013

Update: #EnemyList is now trending!

#EnemyList is now trending in Canada http://t.co/HWDJesNrux "I'm on Harper's EnemyList" shirts http://t.co/Sy3QmUdygQ pic.twitter.com/BFUiVwdlFR

— Franke James (@frankejames) July 18, 2013

Dying to know if I'm on the #HarperGovt #EnemyList. People are now having #EnemyList parties… what if I'm not invited?? Woe!

— Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) July 18, 2013

"If Art has to agree with government policies, then ‘Art Equals Government Propaganda’" via @frankejames http://t.co/ar3VuAb4R1 #EnemyList

— Kaitlin McNabb (@kaitlinmcnabb) July 18, 2013

"Are YOU on Stephen Harper’s #EnemyList?" http://t.co/Eyp96QRMIc A great piece from @frankejames

— A.T. Kingsmith (@akingsmith) July 18, 2013

HaHa! Look who's on Harper's #EnemyList! (Author unknown). My related blacklist post http://t.co/qW1TXbIi3A #CDNpoli pic.twitter.com/6wFSX6KscO

— Franke James (@frankejames) July 18, 2013

Buy the #EnemyList T-shirt or Tank top on Cafepress: www.cafepress.com/frankejames (There are 4 styles to choose from.)

Are YOU on PM Harper's ENEMY BLACKLIST? You could be if you are part of an environmental group, a non-profit organization, or civic and industry associations and have views which are different than the Harper government's. Wear your new ENEMY status proudly! Buy a tank top or t-shirt designed by blacklisted artist Franke James. Get people talking about democracy and freedom of expression!! (Global News, Postmedia, The Toronto Star, CBC News all reported the leaked email from Prime Minister Harper's office asking staff to include a list of "friend and enemy stakeholders" in their transition binders for new ministers appointed in Monday's cabinet shuffle.)

BUY Banned on the Hill: a true story about dirty oil and government censorship

The Narwhal’s reporters are telling environment stories you won’t read about anywhere else. Stay in the loop by signing up for our free weekly dose of independent journalism.