The campaigning in the election has started to become a bit nasty, but it isn't the candidates attacking each other with empty rhetoric and ideologically driven lies. No, that would make too much sense, instead, the Bush government has decided that its feelings were hurt by Paul Martin when he criticized the American administration last week in Montreal. Now, the American Ambassador to Canada is all like "I hope this doesn't permanently harm the relationship," or something. Give me a break. The Liberals always criticize the American government when the Republicans are in charge, and being in the middle of a campaign isn't going to stop them now, it didn't in 2004. I think the real problem is that Martin criticized the American government at a World summit on Climate Change, a summit at which Martin appeared at a press conference with Bill Clinton, who was also critical of the Bush government. So it isn't what Paul Martin said, it's where he said it, within earshot of the American press, and if there's one thing Karl Rove doesn't like...
Speaking of the American press, the Washington Times recently (Dec. 2) printed a commentary by Patrick Basham of the Cato Institute praising Stephen Harper, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, as George Bush's greatest hope for a friendly world leader. The Commentary, obviously written from a far-right political viewpoint, is far off base in its criticism of the Canadian government, calling Canada's public healthcare system "archaic" and the Liberal Government's economic reputation "overblown." While I agree that the healthcare system in Canada needs updating, I'd suggest that it is a much more modern system than the private American example. If anything, it is "archaic" that there are more Americans without any health insurance than the entire population of Canada. Also, if the Canadian government's economic reputation is overblown with almost a decade worth of balanced budgets, a soaring currency, and a dedicated effort to reduce the public debt, what kind of economic reputation does the US administation have? Patrick Basham's, conservative drivel was so far to the right, that Stephen Harper actually wrote a letter to the Washington Times refuting most of the commentary. The reality is that Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are really more in line with the Democratic party on policy, than the Republicans, and support from the latter would likely be a kiss of death in Ontario and urban British Columbia. Harper has been playing down his support for the American government since Iraq started to fall apart, and continuing criticism of the Liberals from south of the border will likely only make it more difficult to defeat Paul Martin.
Keep on Tranglin,
Anthony
6 comments:
Sorry about the above. Typo that drove me bananas. What I mistyped should have been:
If a country's government really was ever doing a perfect job, would the opposition parties suddenly applaud?
If it's wrong again, I'll just leave it.
I find it hilarious that your conservative party is distancing itself from our "conservative" party because we're too far right.
Owl- you're right. What I find odd is that two different countries' ruling parties are being critical of each other during an election, generally something that is inappropriate. Also, that the Canadian main-stream right party won't take an endorsement from the American right because they are just too conservative. Beyond that, George Bush is widely hated in Canada, I think a poll a year or two ago put his support in Canada at something like 15%, and that was before all this Scooter Libby stuff and the justification for goign to war in Iraq falling apart.
Nick- The Democratic party is too far right for Canadians, however we tend to prefer that option. The New Democratic Party in Canada is a bit more liberal than your Green Party under Nader, and they've been consistently polling at about 20%, and that is with very little support in Quebec (almost a third of the country). In the last parliament they held 18 seats and have the potential now to gain more. They aren't a new phenomenon either, they've been around since 1961, much longer if you count the parties that merged to create it. It's never formed a government, but it has regularly supported Liberal minority governments, and is responsible for forcing most of Canada's socialist policies on to the table. Back in the eighties they held more than 40 seats at a time, and they have formed the goverments of 7 of the 10 provinces at one time or another. Many cities also have mayors that are members of the NDP and open supporters of the federal party, although Canadian municipal government is technically non-partisan. Can you imagine the greens or another socialist party in the US getting that kind of support? That's why the rest of the world is afraid of you.
politics are crazy right now and harper is a jackass... but it all doesn't matter because TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!
Wow, just wow.
I am impressed.
Cheers.
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