Last week was not a good week for Stephen Harper. Certainly, Paul Calandra's performance in the House did not cover his boss in glory. But, Michael Harris writes, Stephen Harper's performance at the UN -- in front of an almost empty chamber -- gained him no praise or respect:
Harper has got to realize that you can’t score points talking up peace and maternal health. Everyone in the world knows he is itching to get deeper into the war in Iraq to bolster his international tough guy cred.
You can’t win applause at the UN when you have consistently made clear that the will of the majority of member states means nothing to you. The world’s top diplomats are beyond being taken in by blue sweaters, Beatle songs, and phoney speeches. Day in the Life of videos, cat photographs, and patriotic selfies now work only with dear friends and relatives.
Harper has as much respect for the UN as Calandra has for the House. And the international community has returned the disrespect:
The prime minister long ago used up any “benefit of the doubt” account he might once have had on foreign affairs. His analysis a decade ago would have had Canada front and centre in the last Iraq debacle — which anyone who takes a second to think about it knows set the stage for this latest ISIS fiasco.
The old thesis is back. One can bomb one’s way to peace in the Middle East without telling the folks back home what’s going on. You know, like Viet Nam. Only undemocratic war mongers believe that. And for that matter, only war mongers celebrate the beginning of the First World War, the way Harper did.
Back home, the natives are getting restless:
Maybe it was published rumblings on Bourque Newswatch of Harper’s imminent exit from politics, a story based on anonymous sources in the Conservative Party of Canada from across Canada. While some might want to dismiss Bourque, it was an earlier series of stories on the same site correctly reported the looming corruption scandal at SNC-Lavalin.
Everyone -- at home and on the international stage -- is tired of Stephen Harper. The prime minister is now the Canadian version of Rodney Dangerfield.
7 comments:
What makes scores of Canadians boil is, Harper selling Canada to Communist China. The protest in H.K. is about not wanting to be governed by the Communist government. China had mowed their students down with machine gun fire. Harper too is a tyrant a traitor and extremely disliked, just as Communist China is.
Harper as an arrogant dictator, the wishes of the Canadian people are of no concern to him.
Harper and his cabal have no, honor, decency, ethics nor morals, what-so-ever.
That's a point which I'm sure is not lost on the international community, Anon.
Owen Gray says, "Everyone -- at home and on the international stage -- is tired of Stephen Harper."
Unfortunately, Owen, I know lots of people who still think highly of Steven Harper. There are more who are dissatisfied but can't imagine voting for any other than Conservatives. These loyalists tend to be elderly. Younger voters tell me that it makes no difference so they don't vote.
Hopefully, there are enough sensible people who are paying attention and will vote Harper and his henchmen out.
Harper has still has his loyalists, Toby. But, after last week, let's hope he has fewer of them.
Truth be told Owen Harper set out on a goal to dismantle Canada as we knew it and he succeeded [so he thinks, but ole Steve may find himself in hot water yet.]
But there is hope as it is the executive branch of our governments job to insure that any legislation or treaty MUST not violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and these free trade deals have done just that. Therefore Stephens actions can all be reversed as illegal. Because the executive branch Stephen was not doing his job in protecting our constitution.
This is a significant lawsuit in defense of Canadian democracy and our rights and freedoms. Steve cannot just throw them under the bus.
"3. Harper's open disdain for the Charter. Heritage Canada planned to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Charter in 2012, but the modest event was axed when the plan hit the desk of then minister James Moore. The former General Counsel for the federal department of Justice is currently suing the Harper government for failing to evaluate whether new legislation is consistent with the Charter -- a constitutional duty of the executive branch. " ---> From:
http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/09/25/Harper-Skins-Constitution/
http://www.thecanadianpress.com/english/online/OnlineFullStory.aspx?filename=DOR-MNN-CP.3f34dc0795d94b81987e1649a39d7505.CPKEY2008111303&newsitemid=28920360&languageid=1
Well Owen Harper has completed everything he has set out to do and his crowning glory of course the so-called 'free trade agreements' with China and Europe. So he probably will retire, as the fire is getting a little hot all around him. Nice to see you leave Steve think so? Whoa wait a minute and back up.
Lets start again; it is the duty of the Executive Branch of Government to protect The Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Steve's executive branch has pissed all over them instead. So are any of the free trade agreements that took away our rights and freedoms actually legal and binding?
How about Steve's laws and statutes? Seems that Steve was in such a hurry to accomplish his goals he forgot about his constitutional duties to protect the rights and freedoms we have already been given in law by the elder Trudeau government. Therefore everything Steve has done could all go up in smoke. Read these we have a chance:
http://m.yorktonthisweek.com/article/20140716/YORKTON0304/140719856/-1/yorkton/is-eroding-charter-rights-government-policy&template=JQMArticle
http://www.economist.com/blogs/americasview/2014/07/judicial-activism-canada
http://www.cbapd.org/DocViewer.aspx?id=13192®ion=NA
I’m sick of Canadians who sit around and watch hockey, drink beer all the while their country is going down to the corporate sharks of the world there is no need for this.
Thank goodness for people like Schmidt, Potter and MacKinnon.
However he tries to slice it, Mogs, the apple is rotten and full of worms. His disdain for the Charter keeps causing him grief.
And now his disdain for Parliament and the United Nations is coming back to bite him.
It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
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