Jul 11 2008
The Bush Poodle is “Big” White Hunter!
I wake up every morning with coffee and the Globe and Mail. I have done so pretty much without deviation from my routine since I was in university. If for whatever reason this routine is somehow broken, that’s it I’m done for and so is anyone around me. The rest of the day is a write-off. Sometimes I manage till the next morning, bit I’m not happy about. No sir! I don’t like, I don’t like it all!
On this morning I was gladdened to see that open of my favourite commentators, Rick Salutin, was once again, after a long hiatus, going to share some of his bon mots. Now Rick, he let’s me call him that, yes it’s a first name basis relationship, as I was saying, Rick is in my opinion spot on, Jeffrey tends to be, but too often writes about not so interesting subjects. This morning Rick was not only spot on, but he was dead-on centre target. I would tell you about it but this is one I want to share with all of you. When you’re done, the title of this entry will make sense. Here goes.
“The Globe and Mail - National Edition July 11, 2008
Harper Sahib at the G8
RICK SALUTIN
Stephen Harper’s performance at the G8 this week in Japan emitted a bracing whiff of Canadian imperialism. Did you know there once was such a thing back in the days of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII? It doesn’t mean that Canada had its own empire but that it identified with the British Empire and its rulers, along with other “white dominions” such as Australia and New Zealand, rather than with the rebellious colonials in places such as India. This led us into the Boer War to expand the Empire in Africa.
In the century since, Canada gradually adopted another posture: honest broker between the old rulers and ruled, known today as the developed and developing nations. This rested on a sense that Canada could identify with both sides, because it had been a colony, too. Stephen Harper shows no such sensibility. He’s the Gunga Din of post-9/11, carrying water (and oil) to his masters, along with the white man’s burden. How so?
He overidentified with the big guys there, like a yelpy pup among Great Danes. He took it on himself to explain that the G8 excluded nations such as India and China since its job is “to bring together the major countries, advanced countries of shared values.” It’s insulting, grandiose, delusional and ignores all the similarities “we” share with “them.” Does he even know that Canada was once a colony?
He joined in piling onto Zimbabwe (”We’ve added the G8’s powerful voice”) for its “fraudulent election” and “illegitimacy.” He showed no sense of perspective: that the U.S. held a fraudulent election in 2000, or illegitimately tortures in Guantanamo, and that his own government continues to permit the Americans to practise on Canadian Omar Khadr.
He was at his most smug and patronizing as he lectured those “less developed” than us about climate change - a term he and others have managed to substitute for global warming. “The developing world is up against some simple mathematics, and we’ve simply got to make that point to them,” he said. Did he want to add, as he likes to, that he’s an economist and knows about this tricky stuff? “I could show you the graphs,” he told the press. Did he expect the developing countries to squeal, Oh look, he has graphs. Do show us your graphs. And “this is not a philosophical position. This is a mathematical certainty.” It’s way more glorious than philosophy, folks; this is math! Bow down before it.
The plan they were supposed to gratefully accept wasn’t even a plan. It’s a wish stated in wishful terms of vision or goal. It has no start line for reductions, which could be measured from 1990, or any other year. It has no interim targets and exerts no pressure. It aims only to avoid “the most serious consequences of climate change” - omitting to say which effects are less serious. And even this non-plan won’t happen unless they sign on first, and admit by the Harper logic that they have no choice.
The over-obvious irony is that China and India are developed. They’ve built postmodern, industrial, innovative economies. Their big flaws are social and moral, not economic. Canada, meanwhile, is deindustrializing, with full acquiescence by the Harper government, and declining into reliance on raw materials. We’re back to hewers and carriers. It’s rapid underdevelopment. Those nations must snicker faster than they can bristle as they watch our PM strut among the G8 as he condescends to them. He’s George Bush’s poodle now that Tony Blair’s moved on, and there’s nothing to be gained by it.
Maybe it’s Canada’s role, or that of today’s white dominions, to be more imperial than the Empire long after the Empire has relinquished its crasser forms and learned a few lessons. I mean, who still celebrates Victoria’s birthday? Trust me, it’s not the Brits.”
And there it is folks. Our Prime Minister, kaki shorts, safari hat and all. May nature have mercy on our souls.
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