Posted on 09/18/2002 9:30:14 AM PDT by jodorowsky
There's no other way to put it. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien is an international embarrassment whose ill-timed comments bashing America on the government-owned network last week have damaged Canada in the eyes of our neighbours. It's also perplexed them.
Mr Chretien appeared to say perceived Western greed and arrogance were among the underlying causes of the Sept. 11 attacks. His office later criticized comments that he was blaming the U.S. for the attacks.
Last week in New York, I had a conversation with an investment banker who was very annoyed.
"What in the hell was your Prime Minister saying and why would he say that?" he asked.
I explained to him that American-bashing, and also Israel-bashing, were pervasive attitudes among Canada's academic, media, Liberal Party and arts establishments. It was borrowed from the smug French and British elites as a means, they believe, to make them feel superior.
"Does the average Canadian agree with that stuff?" he asked.
I don't think so, I replied. Canadians like Americans and they do lots of business there, immigrate there, intermarry and devour American culture, food, sports and products.
"So why would he say these things?"
Because he can.
"But doesn't this hurt him at election time?"
No.
"Let me get this straight, it's unpopular and doesn't hurt him in elections. Why?"
Because Canada's federal system is not a democratic.
"C'mon, you have one-person-one-vote elections don't you?"
It's different. Americans have mid-term congressional elections every two years which keep the President in check. If he veers off in a direction that's unpopular, his party will be punished in the mid-terms. If he doesn't, he'll be rewarded with more seats.
But in Canada, there is no separation of the executive from the legislative branch and when the Liberals win a majority -- as they almost always have -- they pass any bill they want any time they want and for up to five years if they want.
They also get to call the next election whenever they feel like it. And they feel like it when the opposition party can't get its act together, which is most of the time. And the opponents can't get their act together because the Liberals have been in power so long that many in business and much of the media is co-opted by cronyism or intimidated by them. This incumbent-advantage is why Canada federally is nothing more than a one-party state.
"But aren't people fed up with this and can't they bring about changes by voting?"
No.
This is because of the tyranny of the minority in Canada.
Imagine if the United States comprised New York and nine other states. What if the only other state that was bigger than New York was divided into several political mindsets? What if the two rich westernmost states had proportionally fewer seats than New York through gerrymandering that never gets fixed? Wouldn't all the Presidents automatically have to be from New York?
Well, in Canada, New York is Quebec. The bigger state whose votes are always divided is Ontario and the states where voter representation is unjustly low are Alberta and British Columbia.
So as long as the Liberals control New York (they were outmanoeuvred once by Brian Mulroney, who made a deal with the separatists) they always win, often with less than 40% of the popular vote.
"I see your problem," he said. "But we counteract the tyranny of the minority by having a Senate where New York has no more seats than Rhode Island. Don't you have a Senate?"
Yes, I said, but in name only.
The Ruling Party in Canada would never allow an elected Senate. That chamber's purpose is to pay off party faithful.
"OK, the game is rigged, but surely the Ruling Party of Canada can get rid of this guy with the anti-American big mouth and put in someone more acceptable to the public?"
Not really.
Chrétien never has to leave office unless he dies.
This year, he fired his finance minister even though he had done a good job because that minister was more popular than he was and was going to run to replace Chrétien at a February, 2002, leadership convention. Then Chrétien announced his "resignation" -- but not until 2003 -- and then he told party officials this meant there was no need for a leadership vote in a 2002 convention. So they backed off and will run a loving video tribute to Chrétien instead, which is what he wanted anyway.
Then he threatened to fire any other Cabinet minister rival unless they ceased and desisted any efforts to succeed him at the following convention in 2003. And none of them resigned because they have no principles."You're kidding," he said.
Wish I was.
And its getting cheaper too, I remember when their dollar was on par with ours, now its just 63 cents on the way to the dumper.
They used to come down here, to Grand Forks or Fargo on shopping trips by the droves..now they don't have the money.
Actually, the educated Canadians are awake. We realized that the only way to have a decent standard of living, work in the field of your education and have a measure of real freedom was to immigrate to the U.S. Those are a few of the several reasons I'm here. Basically, I gave up on Canada and, in my mind, call it the Peoples Republic of Canuckistan.
Well all the best to you guys, but I'm up here ;)
Any jobs in America for right wing madman computer science lecturers?
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