So now what? Have we merely staved off the inevitable non-confidence vote? Will Harper learn to love Canada as much as himself? Will Dion be gone at an accelerated pace? Will we find some adults to supervise Question Period? Will Canadians keep caring about their country enough to continue to engage at a meaningful level and not just be reactionary? Here are some observations and prognostications:
Dion: He has to go sooner than May 2009. His work here is done. The country is too volatile and split for the Liberals to wait for the next Godot to show up. Dion has considerable talents but political leadership and retail politics are not his strong suits. He has brought Harper to heel but he lacks the skill set and the mind set to make him sit shake-paw and beg. Those are the critical training objectives for Harper to master if he wants to extend this reign.
Harper: He is a man of many faces. It is as if being two-faced is not enough for him. He is not well intended in the service of the country and pathologically insincere in word and deed. As a result of such serious character flaws he suffers from a syndrome of serious integrity lapses. But he can be trained. Like all good puppies, he will learn because he responds to rewards and fears punishment. Harper is not yet House broken but he has finagled his way out of the House and into the dog house. He has pissed off most of the country with his snarling and aggressive behaviours. He is on a choker leash now and if he does not behave, he will be muzzled. If he continues to behave like a brighter but smart-ass George Bush he will be “put down” - politically at least.
Liberal Leadership: Let’s get the Liberal leadership over by the end of February – at the latest! The candidates are decided and known. This sequel promises to be less engaging that the first season and with fewer survivors left in “the Great Race.” The political climate is so fragile and the country is so uncertain that one lingering political uncertainty is unwise and unnecessary. Dion is done and the Liberals will be too if the dither.
The Coalition: This edition of a united opposition is likely over. It has done its job. It has humbled and humiliated Harper and for that we owe the leaders a debt of gratitude. If there is a new Liberal leader decided on a fast-track the second edition of an on-going opposition coalition ought to be part of the plan going forward. We need to look carefully at the concept of coalitions given we are on our third minority government in a row – and who know how many more will be coming.
Old Canada Redux: Canadians are still split on partisan lines and Harper has revived the regional animosities again. I would like to see a coalition government for a short term, like a year or so. It would serve as a potential test run of what governing would be like as a result of Proportional Representation. It would not be as a result of PR but it would be a consequence of PR.
The Next Canada: We are about to be tested as a nation and as a society. Our old orienting mythologies of being an inclusive, fair, caring and careful and cautious society are going to be put challenged due to this economic crisis. Our character as a nation will be highlighted as we work our way through the coming calamities. How we deal with big issues urbanization, climate change, immigration, aboriginal relationships and our place in the world and our roles and responsibilities as citizens are going to be highlighted.
The Next Election: Are we going to come through this as a new progressive society, stay as a consumptive at all cost “growth” society, or will be retreat to a traditionalist model? The next election will set that course. If Harper wins a majority we will retreat into a conservative ideological mode of thought noted for a moral discipline with an expectation of obedience to authority. Harper will be portrayed as the strategic manager and experienced economist will be the strict father figure to get us through the economic mess but based on fears and insecurities. More George Bush?
If there is some other election outcome we may see a different more progressive Canada emerge that is a more caring and nurturant society. We may see a new political culture that has government and leadership that is attuned to empathy, responsibility and hope where we protect, empower and care for each other in a more vibrant sense of community and common cause that includes the individual but is larger than the individual. More Barrack Obama?
One thing that seems certain, given the causes and courses of the economic meltdown, the status quo is not on. We are not longer able to afford and presuming we can continue to abuse the planet for personal gain at the expense of the “others.” We are embedded in a globally interdependent and vulnerable world that is facing an ecological peril that is more dire than the ensuing recession/depression.
As George Lakeoff says in The Political Mind “A new understanding is emerging about what is means to be human. Our political institutions and practices reflect our collective self-understanding. When that changes dramatically, so should our politics.”
He closes the book with the chilling observation “But we better hurry up. The ice caps are melting.” Amen!
Ken; I see you as being both right and wrong in your editorial comments. You are correct in saying that Dion has to go and soon. The Liberal party cannot enter another election with him as leader.
ReplyDeleteThe coalition is likely and should be done. I quite frankly believe that they embarassed themselves far more than they embarassed Mr Harper. Canadians seem to agree also as the polls this morning have the Conservatives with a huge lead in popular support over anyone else.
I view the coalition leaders in many of the same ways you describe Stephen Harper, cold calculating, deceptive individuals. This coalition was never about good governance or Canadian values, it 's sole purpose was to remove Stephen Harper from office buy any means possible. They fully understand that they could not afford or hope to win via another election.
I believe it is up to the other parties to work with the Conservatives more than the other way around. It is to be expected that the policies put forth will be mostly of Conservative flavour. And so it should be, that is after all what Canadians voted for.
If the other parties continue to try and drive the agenda we will have another election very soon.
You may describe PM Harper in any way that you choose but your words often diminish the credibility in your argument. It makes you appear to be already on the level that you are trying to drag your adversary down to. I've worked with you in the past Ken and I know that you are better than that.
The Liberal party needs to get it's act together and soon or people like Jack Layton will continue to manipulate and maneuver them.
Perhaps they need to sit as opposition members a little while longer to learn how to govern effectively again.
After all a person can be a good leader, only after he has first learned how to be a good server.
I couldn't disagree with Albert S more. I think he has it all backwards. This issue is not about Dion and the coalition , it is about how Harper is mismanging the economy with his Laize-faire attitude towards working families who are 'suffering' as we speak, while going full steam ahead and damn the torpedoes with respect to his ideological ambitions. It is about a party with 38% of popular support trying to circumvent the will of the majority (62%). It's about Harper's egomania and hunger for power at any cost... even sacrificing the unity of Canada, while in the midst of an economic crisis. Now that is some kind of leadership, only a closet Nazi could love.
ReplyDeleteJohn; what appears to be backwards may depend greatly on the direction in which you are looking. I prefer to use conventional math which says that more people supported the Conservative party policies in the last election than any other. 38% Conservative, 26% Liberal, 18% NDP and so on. Using the coalitions math one would have to accept that 62% voted against the Conservative platform, 74% against the Liberal platform, 82% against the NDP and so on. You would also have to accept that since Jack Layton received only 47% of the votes in his riding then 53% of his constituents don't support him. Ujjal Dosanjh received only 38.5% of the ballots cast. How can he argue that he speaks on behalf of all of his constituents.
ReplyDeleteAs for the economy, we are all aware that there is a global slowdown happening and that it will have some negative effects on our economy. Our leading economists and banking sectors all seem to agree that we will not be hit nearly as hard as our neighbours to the south will be. Our economy thankfully is structured much differently than theirs. Our government has made provisions that are already providing a cushion for us.
The way I see it the responsibility of the government is to govern in a responsible manner so as not to unbalance the economy by over stimulating one sector while hoping to cool another. Keep in mind for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. That holds true when dealing with the economy.
Another responsibility of the government is to provide a stable saftey net for those who will unfortunately lose their jobs in the upcoming months. That saftey net is in place now although perhaps some adjustments could be made. Then if there is opportunity to provide responsible economic stimulus to return these people to work it should be done. But to provide unconditional corporate welfare to achieve that goal is irresponsible and in the long run would have a greater negative effect on our economy than letting nature run it's course.
The coalition didn't have any detailed plans laid out for the economy that I could see. In fact I believe that the economy was used as a smokescreen in order to confuse and disorient Canadians.
Afterall is is possible to manufacture the impression of a crisis in order to create a panic among people. Human nature dictates that when you are in a panic you will search for a way out and follow any lineup that appears to be moving. Even if the lineup is moving in the wrong direction.
There are some very crafty and even devious people in all the parties and some will go to great lengths to manufacture a crisis to get attention and ultimately power. In this case the coalition badly miscalculated or followed some very poor advice.
When the smoke clears don't be afraid to look up and see which direction you are going, maybe, just maybe it's not me that has it backwards.
Also, FYI, I am not a Conservative party member nor am I a closet Nazi. I consider that statement either desperate or immature.
Thanks for listening to me.
Thank you Albert and John for your participation and helping people read and appreciate a serious conversation about the future of the country and our democracy.
ReplyDeleteAlbert S: First, let me say I love your opening line. Touché!
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to play a numbers game with you, using conventional math or otherwise, nor will I try to match wits with you, as I believe the facts speak for themselves.
Harper is a Laize-faire politician at a time when the country needs massive intervention in our economy. Which as you know, goes against Harper and the conservatives philosophical Laize-faire mindset? End of story!
He and the conservatives got to go, because they are incapable of dealing with today's realities of getting your hands dirty and getting down and fixing things, and in some cases reinventing the wheel, as Obama and others are doing around the world, as we speak. We are talking here of intervention and we know Harper is a non-interventionalist with respect to the marketplace. He can't do the job, nor should he be allowed to based on all his fumbling to date. We can't take a chance on a guy in a job who doesn't believe in what he is doing.
btw - the conservatives being in power for such a short time cannot claim credit for policies and a banking system that were in place before their arrival. However, they can take credit for going through our surpluses and quite likely, more than likely, leaving us with a massive deficit for this year, and as a result, less prepared financially as a country to deal with the coming storm.
The bottom line is they would not be good managers, during these trying times ahead of us, based on their dismal performance to date, and their obvious limitations and handicaps in the area of having the fundamental tools needed to get the job done.
FYI - Your FYI remark on not being a conservative nor a Nazi is duly noted. My apologies. But I do stand by the intent of my remarks, which was that people need to be careful of blindly buying into ideological mindsets. As is what happened in Germany with Hitler.