Thursday, March 12, 2015

All Hat, No Cattle


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Chris Westdal, former Canadian ambassador to Russia, is not impressed by Stephen Harper:

I thought leaders in times of crisis were expected to keep calm and carry on, maintaining stiff upper lips and carrying sticks bigger than their tongues. Not our guy. He mongers fear across the land — fear of criminals, fear of terrorists, fear of Iran, fear of Russia — fear in every case gussied up with purple prose, proud to be certain, proud to be loud.

The proud to be loud meme has not done Canada's international reputation any good:

The Harper government has been, by Canadian standards, uniquely bellicose in the world. Our government has been vocally skeptical about a nuclear deal with Iran. Our government is the only one to have labelled Russia “evil”. Our PM is the only one who had to “guess” whether he’d shake Russian President Putin’s hand (although he made sure his press secretary let everyone know how brave he’d been). Other G-20 leaders saw fit to mind their manners. Of course, those leaders — unlike ours — might actually have some role to play in bringing peace to Ukraine.

Internationally, Harper is known as a Canadian Colonel Blimp -- all talk and no action:

If Vladimir Putin is the 21st century’s answer to Adolf Hitler, for instance, then why did Mr. Harper lead the opposition at NATO’s Wales summit against a U.S./UK pitch for a boost in defence spending? (It’s worth remembering that when President Obama convened a core-group Ukraine huddle at that summit, our PM — Kyiv’s most certain friend — was simply excluded.)

And we simply don't talk to people anymore:

Not only are we short-changing the military, we’ve apparently given up on negotiation. We shut our embassy in Tehran down. With Ukraine, we were the only country to withdraw our ambassador from Moscow at the height of the crisis in Crimea. Across the board, our diplomats have been muzzled and marginalized, their operations nickel-and-dimed to death.

So the next time you hear Stephen Harper tell you that you should be very afraid, consider how the rest of the world takes what he says. The Cowboy from Etobicoke is all hat and no cattle.

12 comments:

Rural said...

We should in fact be 'very afraid', Owen. Very afraid of where the Harper Regime has/is taking us, both internationally and domestically.......

Owen Gray said...

I agree, Rural. We shouldn't be afraid of terrorists. We should be afraid of him.

Scotian said...

And I have been afraid of him, for a couple of decades now, which is why I've been Cassandra for so long now.

Owen Gray said...

He is quoted as saying he likes to see fear in people's eyes, Scotian.

Scotian said...

Which in itself should be sounding loud alarm bells to sane people whatever their political persuasion. Those that get off on seeing fear in the eyes of others are also going to be more inclined to set conditions so they can get their fix of such, like any junkie wanting a fix. Fear junkies are bad enough when it is just their own fears they are playing with for that andrenaline high, those that want to see it in others to get their won kicks, well those can be very sick puppies indeed.

I've also never forgotten how Harper loved reading up on Stalin back in the day. One wonders at tiems how much he dreams at night of having the same ability to purge those in his way as Stalin, it is clear he is willing to do as close as he can politically speaking in our culture.

Owen Gray said...

There is a matter of degree, Scotian. But several people have commented on Harper's Stalinesque need for control.

Anonymous said...

So he likes to see fear in people's eyes does he? Well, when I look at his eyes, all I see is a blank, lifeless cold stare.

He certainly lacks all the human qualities I thought should encompass a competent leader. While good old Brian Mulrooney has/had questionable ethics, at least his eyes were smiling the whole time he was taking us all for a financial ride.

ffd said...

A lot of Canadians are too thick to be afraid. But the MSM seem less enthusiastic than they used to be and many Tories are beginning to realize they are completely disposable, no matter how useful they think they are to Steve. Maybe an internal revolt will dispose of the little tyrant. Stalin was finally helped out by his own people. He had had a stroke and his doctors gave him a bit of a push, I read.

Eventually Steve will go. But I'm afraid his low standards will persist because the average Canadian is such a pushover. No need to guess at what Canadians will put up with any more.

Owen Gray said...

Harper is where he is because Canadians let him in and let him stay, ffd.

We are the landlords of 24 Sussex. We can evict him.

Owen Gray said...

Harper has been all about fear and smear since he came to office, Anon.

Steve said...

Harper is a neo -contrarion. Everything he says is the opposite of reality.

Owen Gray said...

Orwell understood Harper, Steve: War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength.