PING!
Posted on 12/02/2006 10:02:57 AM PST by GMMAC
OH! CANADA
By Ted Byfield
No, I'm more anti-American!
WorldNetDaily
December 2, 2006
Canada's Liberal Party, which dominated Canadian government through most of the 20th century, is choosing a new leader this weekend with what is widely viewed by Liberals as the Big Bad U.S. a major issue in the contest.
Front-runner Michael Ignatieff, a professor of international political affairs, returned to his native Canada in 2005 to run for the Liberal leadership after 27 years at Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard. He suffered so much criticism as a closet "pro-American" during the late stages of the campaign, that he spent the last week trying to establish respectably anti-American credentials.
His most vociferous critic is the second-favored Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, a socialist-become-Liberal, whose five-year regime as NDP (i.e., socialist) premier of Ontario in the early 1990s was arguably the most financially catastrophic era in that province's history.
Rae has steadily gained ground through the campaign, in part by his opposition to the Canadian role in Afghanistan and his assaults on the Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper as a toady of the Bush administration in the U.S.
The Liberals, that is, are coming on strongly, not only as anti-Republican, but also as anti-American, and none of the other six candidates seeking the party leadership has made any notable effort to temper that impression. Thus the attitude toward the U.S. may become a central point at issue between Canada's two major political parties – the Tories pro-American, the Liberals anti-American.
But that is not the only distinction between them. Under the Harper leadership, the Tory government has become distinguished for a decisiveness of action. On everything from day care to gay marriage to military policy, it has maintained a clear and consistent viewpoint.
Its only departure from its election platform – a decision to tax income trusts – was made only after major corporations began using them to escape paying any taxes at all. Since a situation in which the biggest industries in the country were not paying taxes was impossible to sustain, the government simply announced it was breaking its election promise and imposed the tax. The uproar was vociferous but short-lived.
The Liberals, on the other hand, as reflected by the array of views of their would-be leaders, have no policies – apart, that is, from their rising and unfocussed anti-Americanism. This is in part a consequence of their history. For more than 65 years of the 20th century, they maintained power by flexibly shifting their policies to reflect whatever was in vogue at the time. Power not principle was their central tenet.
This pragmatism explains the Rae conversion to Liberalism. Steve Harper had successfully united Canada's right-wing parties. Now Rae would lead the move to unite the left. The Liberals see Rae's joining them as luring a great many voters away from the NDP, ultimately dooming that party.
If Rae wins the leadership, he can therefore be expected to take the party to the left. Ignatieff is seen as far more of a centrist. However, Rae's presence could drive centrist and right-of-center Liberals into the ranks of the Harper Tories. This is the outcome that some Liberals fear.
When the delegates were registered, 30 percent of them were committed to Ignatieff, only 20 percent to Rae. But in the successive ballots being taken this weekend, anything might happen.
If no candidate has a majority after the first count is taken, which is altogether likely, the eighth place contender must drop off, and others running far behind might choose to do the same. A second ballot is then taken with the last-place contender again forced out, then a third ballot or even a fourth, until in the narrowing field of candidates, one of them at last gets more than 50 percent. Thus the outcome will be determined by the second choices of those who supported the less popular candidates in the early rounds.
In such a situation, one of the remaining six could wind up the winner, gradually drawing votes away from the two front-runners.
The first ballot was scheduled to be taken last evening, the second and successive ballots today and tomorrow if necessary.
The outcome could have lasting consequences for Canadian politics. The Tories in the 19th century had been Canada's dominant party, only to find themselves eclipsed by the Liberals in the 20th and destined to spend much of it in the political wilderness. Perhaps with the advent of the 21st century, the roles would now reverse again, with the wavering Liberals headed for the wilderness. Time may soon tell.
Ted Byfield published a weekly news magazine in western Canada for 30 years and is now general editor of "The Christians," a 12-volume history of Christianity.
PING!
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Do Canadians call the Conservatives Tories?
Fox had a story about the Liberals' meeting, where they had Howard Dean speak. He said one sentence in French which delighted the Quebeckers. Fox's reporter on the scene then said a sentence or two in French (Fox supplied subtitles). They mentioned that some of the Canadians were wondering why an American was brought up to address them.
To me, the only real difference between liberals on respective sides of the border is those Stateside sometimes find it politically expedient to attempt to mask their true hatred for America.
Yes, we do. In addition, you'll hear the liberals referred to as "grits".
"We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle." -Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Brilliance shines forth from history.
Thanks! And it is also rather interesting to confirm the "liberal" view of Churchill, which is much the same as liberals view conservatives today in general.
The great English classical liberal John Morley, after working with Churchill, passed a succinct appraisal of him, "Winston," he said, "has no principles."
Must be followed by another quote..
"How do you tell a Socialist:- It's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an Anti-Socialist someone who understands Marx and Lenin" -Ronald Reagan
We must read the same books.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
Hey FRiend - get over to cbc.ca or similar as it's likely now only about 5 minutes to Christmas coming early for Stephen Harper & the CPC if, as it appears, Dion is crowned Librano-in-Chief.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
"Merry Christmas, Stephen !!!"
Blow me away.
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