Blog
November 27th 2009 | 3
PM playing catch-up
Stephen Harper has turned tail, as is his nature, and decided to run all the way to Copenhagen. After repeatedly stating that he would not partake in the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference, the consistently unsure prime minister is now being reported to have had a change of heart. Conveniently, this change comes after President Obama made it clear he will attend the so-called ‘Kyoto Two’. Even China’s Premier Wen Jiabao announced he will be attending before Harper did. China!
To say that the Conservatives’ lack of committment to effective climate change policy is pathetic is an understatement. Canada is becoming an embarrasment in this regard.
But the Harperites’ lack of adoption of any sort of international leadership is becoming increasingly problematic. After a decade of Liberal governments who strove to make Canada a leading middle power, the boys in blue have been middling in this regard at best.
In his most recent work, A Fair Country, Canadian author and thinker-extraordinaire John Raulston Saul contends that Canada’s consistent satisfaction with mediocrity - both at the elite business and political levels - has grown from various foundational myths about Canada and can be counteracted by a reinvestigation of Canada’s political and social history as an adventurous, capable and inventive amalgamation of British, French and Aboriginal culture. A Metis Nation, as his framework articulates.
Stephen Harper is an example of the traditional way of thinking about Canada.
He is not extraordinary, neither a source of political inspiration or confidence. He exudes mediocrity at every opportunity, a throw-back to the old guard of a Canada which is quiet on the world stage. His refusal to partake in the Copenhagen Conference was never any surprise. His turn-coat attitude regarding the importance of the global meeting once Obama has begun to blaze the trail is also unsurprising. When one fails to be a leader, following those who are is almost automatic.
With regards to international leadership, Stephen Harper is the political equivalent of a Pavlov dog.
In short, Obama has rung the bell. We all know what follows next.
Discussion
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And wouldn’t you just love to be the fly on the wall when Harper gets asked about CBC coverage of Climate Gate? Have you seen the discussion on CBC.ca? 757 comments in under 3 days.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/11/26/climate-change-hack.html– magpiemayhem in Peg | November 29th 2009 at 3:28pm | Link
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Such a waste of time and our money for him to fly all the way to Copenhagen for a conference on something that is a complete exaggeration.
– anon in Winnipeg | November 30th 2009 at 11:37pm | Link
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That’s right, anon. Its also a complete fraud. Humans need to find real solutions and make meaningful changes and sacrifices - not hand over the future of the planet to some unelected uber-govt at the United Nations that wants to make slaves of all of us. Arrest Al Gore!
– magpiemayhem in Peg | December 1st 2009 at 4:10pm | Link
