[I. M. Trenchant]

Owen Harries, a foreign policy advisor to previous Australian governments ...... [declares that] [d]espite his skepticism of Australia's over-arching ambition to be in the big leagues, [he] is contemptuous of Canada's more cautious foreign policy, [saying] I don't admire Canada's foreign policy very much. For a country of its weight, it should be doing more than engaging in good works."

Are we to conclude from his sanctimonious prattle that Harries thinks Canada should be engaging, not only in good works, but also in bad works, non-good works, silly works, macho works, mindless works, or, more likely, pretentious works that would give it an appearance of having military strength that Canada (like Australia) does not and never can have in a world in which U.S. power is utterly preponderant in every way -- except in putting down insurgencies?

[CeDex]

Are we to conclude from his sanctimonious prattle that Harries thinks Canada should be engaging, not only in good works, but also in bad works, non-good works, silly works, macho works, mindless works, or, more likely, pretentious works that would give it an appearance of having military strength that Canada (like Australia) does not and never can have in a world in which U.S. power is utterly preponderant in every way -- except in putting down insurgencies?

Brilliant observation. Kinda' thought of it that way myself. An obvious Aussie poseur, yet the article was written by a Canadian. Too funny.

Last time I was skiing up in Whistler, BC (I'm from WA state and visit Canada all the time) the entire town was just teeming with Aussie expats. You name it: waiters/waitresses, hotel and bar staff, ski lift personnel, etc. None of them were planning on going back home anytime soon. Could it be they were in Canada hiding out from this Owen Harries dude? Fosters and ski bunnies a little more appealing than invading the Solomon Islands, perhaps?

Way too funny...