In a curious twist of kismet, the Canadian parliament now appears to be modeling its behavior on that of the Israeli parliament. If Alberta and Quebec threaten to secede we may yet wind up with an environment that is as physically charged.
"What an unpalatable choice now beckons Canadians: a government led by a Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, whose approach has disappointed so many; or a government led by Stéphane Dion, the Liberal Leader Canadians resoundingly rejected six weeks ago."
Amen to that, Jeffrey Simpson. When the nation's economic statement was being read last Thursday, I was listening in utter astonishment as the finance minister proposed the nation cut its way through the rising economic tsunami. Don't misunderstand me: I'm contrary enough to admire anyone who swims against the teams of money-minders from every single industrialized nation on this planet. I just want to hear an articulate defense of this particular strategy -- especially when said strategy is delivered with a heavy back-handed slap against the majority of seat-holders in our collective parliament. If the report hadn't been such a gem of hubristic folly, I would have hailed Harper's brand of realpolitik.
Ugh. We live in times that are too interesting by half.
7 comments:
WP,
Knowing of your curious intellectual side, I'm assuming that you've gathered your brood around you and let the youngsters know how historic these times are that they're growing up in. Yes, yes there's upheaval everywhere, but you can't say they're coming of age in boring times. Geez! This sure is not the '70's, the most boring time (except for Nixon's fall from high) in the last century.
Getting back on topic, any chance that Mud Wrestling will be the preferred method of deciding the component members of the coalition government? And Stephen Harper? For someone that seemed like a geeky pushover when he first came into office, he certainly has sharpened his ire and acquired a sizable set of cojones. He's a Beast!
I've done nothing of the sort. They'll figure it out for themselves when we heat the house with our furniture and forage for wild leeks and fiddleheads in the spring.
As for Harper, given his taste for high-boil politics I'm starting to wonder if he isn't The Beast.
Oh, I don't think you should be too anxious about that. I've heard that that figure of fervent biblically charged expectation & imagination has already chosen the U.S. for his entrance upon history's stage.
Or maybe you think Canada has some kind of claim on the big events of the coming showdown? I can understand a nation of secular humanists coming to a conclusion like that. Well, let me tell you, this has always been an American story. We own the A.C. down here.
(Seriously, though -- I still think it's Gorbachev. Nobody's convinced me he doesn't fit, just because he's been out of headlines for a few years. Look out: international power's going to shift his way again. That's when I'm going to quit working and turn to street evangelism.)
Gorbachev at least has the mark to fit the profile. But nobody expects a Canadian to be The Beast. Just like nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition -- right?
Now you're getting serious. The Catholics do make a great collective W of B. So much guilty history to pull up. And now Ratzinger, even -- he has that leering grin, and the eyes. I admit he's an appealing candidate. I don't know. Maybe I should sit down with my timeline again. It's so hard to decide who to demonize sometimes.
You say W, I say H -- and good luck trumping that. Ratzinger might have the, uh, "German" past but to be fair: he's agin liberation theology & rock 'n' roll.
Ain't religion fun!
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