Potpourri of Political Opinion

1. Why are we, as Canadians, so horny for any sort of validation from the American establishment? Last week, the top story on CTV Newsnet was that George W. Bush had mentioned the efforts of the Canadian military in the ongoing rescue and recovery operations in Louisiana and Mississippi. The story carried a big red banner on the screen that read "Bush Thanks Canada". During the initial stages of the war in Afghanistan, Canadian news media were all over the fact that Bush hadn't publicly acknowledged our military's involvement. Bush didn't publicly ackowledge the death of 4 of our soldiers at the hands of American aircraft in Afghanistan. he didn't make his first state visit to Ottawa until the first year of his second term.

Personally, I'm OK with all of this global anonymity. I believe that it works to our favour to quietly, and relatively free of international pressure, build our own national character. In fact, having our actions not recognized or criticized by the Bush administration seems to indicate that we are very much on teh right track in that department. So please, my fellow Canadians, lets stop wagging our tail everytime the President mentions our name or crapping on the carpet each time he doesn't.

2. Stephen Harper is back in the news, once again threatening to force a fall election and boldly predicting a conservative landslide. Now, I have no general issues with conservatives but I must say that this particular conservative politician just reeks of the kind of power-hungry, self-obsessed, pious posturing that is so in vogue among American Evangelical Politicians. While there arent a whole lot of politicians I look at and think 'wow - that man is just out for the good of the country and its people', there are a frightening few that really strike me as someone who just wants to remake the nation in his own image. Guess which category Harper fits into.

I have a scary feeling that if Harper ever becomes PM, then has a tell-all book written about his private conversations with a friend, he will come across even more megalomaniacal than Brian Mulroney (and that man has a self-image larger than his behemoth chin). And whats with that creepy pale complexion? he has the exact same coloration and mannerisms as a silverfish.

3. With regards to politics in general, I must say that the vast divide between the left and the right in the US (or more accurately, the far right and the left-leaners who are trying hard not to look like total weak-kneed hippies) is terrifying - particularly the thought that it might be one day recreated here in Canada. So far, we've been blessed with generally centrist governements, one way or the other, and the result has been a national image that is welcoming and inclusive.

The thing is, a successful nation needs thriving conservatives AND liberals...as long as they both maintain a level of respect for the part the other plays and a committment to work together. Liberals are the ones driven to reimagine life, the innovators, the inventors. Conservatives balance out the mix with caution, ensuring that change doesn't happen quicker than the population can absorb. There is no correct school of thought. Both have a valuable purpose. When a nation strays too far to the right, you get fascism and stagnation. To far to the left and you get totalitarianism and instability. Hitler on one side, Stalin on the other.

4. I just saw the Green Day video for "When September Ends" (I'll avoid criticizing the music except to say that it brought to mind the Wierd Al Yankovic parody of the George Harrison song, entitled "This Song is Just Six Words Long"). I know that they were trying to show the real emotional toll of sending young men off to war and the reasons why a lot of them choose to enlist (boredom, frustration, limited economic opportunities, etc...) and it does just that admirably...but I do feel that the military on both sides of the border often get a bum rap.

The truth of the matter is that the world and all its people still do not have a unifying philosophy that allows us to live peacefully (and may never have that). A strong military is a necessity and I have nothing but gratitude for those who chose that route. The ultimate scrifice they make is leaving a sizeable chunk of their humainty on the battlefield.

What worries me about not only the military but the police, is that while its forces are trained to professionally kill, police and deter, there doesnt seem to be a lot of thought put into making sure that those who enlist or enroll are doing so with the best of intentions. Thus, a lot of people with strong prejudices and histories of violence are attracted to these careers, seeing them as opportunities to indulge their instincts without being forced to change.

Perhaps one day there will be provisions made, as the Romans did, to ensure that those guarding our citizens are decent, well-rounded persons, the best and bravest of the lot and not just the cast-offs, the poor and malcontents.

Anyway, thats it for now.