Thursday, June 23, 2011

CanaINC

Canadians seem to be unaware, but with each successive isolating position on the world stage, this Conservative government is destroying our international reputation. Oh sure, if you narrow your gaze to mere conversations about banking systems, Canada shines brightly, but in totality the perceptions reveal more an emerging pariah than poster child.

The latest "outrageous" stance by the Conservatives again projects Canada as a soulless power, wherein only economic benefit is calculated, further ethical considerations an irritant to greed. To be fair, the past Liberal government wasn't exactly stellar on the asbestos file, but this crew has taken denial and obstruction to an entirely new level of embarrassment:

Canada told the world Wednesday it opposes placing limits on the export of chrysotile asbestos - a "bombshell" expected to derail international efforts to list the mineral as hazardous.

The head of the Canadian delegation at a United Nations summit in Geneva made the statement late Wednesday after a consensus was emerging to label the known carcinogen mined in Quebec as hazardous"

What's even more dubious, our newly minted Natural Resources Minister stated if a consensus emerged, we would go along with the initiative. However, once we could no longer hide behind our biggest importer India and the Ukraine, Canada was smoked out and stood with a motley crew of outlier nations. Canada is now basically alone, another shameful performance that has left other nations shaking their heads at our behaviour.

Harper may try to spin Canadians that we are a rising power on the world stage, our stature never higher. But, when you start to add up the relevant issues, listen to the feedback of diplomats and foreign press reports, Canada looks like an international obstacle that has one singular focus: ensuring nothing gets in the way of it's ambitions or direct self interest. Once a leader, a country that other nations looked to as a bit of a moral compass, with each successive "outrage" Harper is dismantling that image, replaced with an almost mulitnational corporation feel. CanaINC, an amoral conglomerate singularly focused on profits and expansion, devoid of social conscience and moral imperatives. We might have the banks, but our reputation is being robbed as we speak.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

"an amoral conglomerate singularly focused on profits and expansion, devoid of social conscience and moral imperatives"

Isn't that the Conservative Party?

Steve V said...

Exactly!

Dame said...

A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs, who however never learned to walk forward.
Franklin D. Roosewelt /1939/

shame shame with no end

JimmE said...

As Liberals, we share in this, & I would argue Liberals (including yours truly) are the reason we'll have this group breaking our country to bits for a decade. We have allowed the ideology of GREED & Corporate Self Interest to be seen as a reasonable policy option. Many a reaction to this ideology is to just dismiss it, or call it a name - never a good idea. This is about GREED, we need to be clear & develop an alternative narrative to this politics of GREED.

Steve V said...

I believe this is the conversation that could put the Liberals back in the mix.

Gloria said...

Wikileaks has said, the N.A.U. is just around the corner. The American people say, the U.S. was just waiting for Harper's majority, to implement the N.A.U. in small increments at first. Harper has pretty much given Canada away, to the giant corporations he works for. They own all of the natural resources. Canadian people own nothing.

Harper has stolen the soul, of this country. At one time, Canada was a good decent country. The world looked up to Canada. But, no longer. Harper has embarrassed this country and the citizen's, countless times. He even cost Canada her seat in the U.N.

Harper totally embarrassed us in Copenhagen, over greenhouse gase emissions. That's because, Harper supports the dirtiest energy in the entire world. The Alberta dirty tar sands.

Our oceans are dying, because, they are on pollution overload. There is so much acid, the creatures shells, are being eaten away by the acid.

I did read warnings on line. If Harper wins a majority, we can kiss Canada good-bye. The U.S. citizens say, Harper's election win, was rigged. That I can believe. Well over half of the Canadians people, did not want Harper as P.M.

If we want our country, sovereign and free. Harper has to go.

Alison said...

"We might have the banks, but our reputation is being robbed as we speak."

Not a party supporter as you know, Steve, but there's your slogan.

There's something singularly odd about the asbestos file. Why, on March 23, 2010, did 9 out of 10 members of the Natural Resources Committee vote against the motion to remove the government subsidy to the Chrysotile Asbestos Institute lobby group?