The Morosely Sanctimonious Scold
She could've been President, she was a contender. And she has been busy boxing ears ever since. Getting good practise in Israel, actually. And a few good shots too, while in Canada. The G8 meeting on the Arctic preliminary to the G20 summit which would include also indigenous peoples with observer status, got Canada a harangue for excluding non-coastal players and aboriginals.
The United States is far more honourable, recognizing the diplomacy required in establishing good relations between all stakeholders. Which is why President Obama suddenly, unilaterally, decided to open up Arctic exploration, among other Atlantic-coast sites. No consultations necessary, since who would object to anything the U.S. determines to forge ahead with?
She was just getting started. From lambasting Canada over the lack of an aboriginal presence at the G8 Arctic confab, she went on to ingratiate herself with Canada by taking up the issue of abortion availability being an integral part of family planning counselling, and it was time Canada faced up to it.
She's right, of course, but hasn't her administration just backed down on providing access to abortion procedures through the recently-passed health care bill, stalled by the Republicans, effectively encouraging the Democrats to abandon their high-flown accessibility rhetoric? It's called political expedience, isn't it?
Political expedience does not make for a finely-tuned morality play. This executive envoy of the United States, an esteemed and carefully-handled-lest-she-bite guest in Canada, kind of overlooked the place of diplomacy by speaking directly to CTV of her decided discontent at Canada's decision to pull our troops out of Afghanistan. Oh. Dear.
Canada has learned to be a passive resister when it comes to American demands. We tend to overlook the presumptuousness of self-entitled, ill-mannered guests when they're American politicians. Opinions can and should be sought and freely given between associates, friends and neighbours, but those opinions should retain some civil circumspection.
Where President Obama's wide and brilliant smile disarmed Canadians, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's brusquely unsettling authoritarianism brought a wide and brilliant smile from us on her departure. Whew!
The United States is far more honourable, recognizing the diplomacy required in establishing good relations between all stakeholders. Which is why President Obama suddenly, unilaterally, decided to open up Arctic exploration, among other Atlantic-coast sites. No consultations necessary, since who would object to anything the U.S. determines to forge ahead with?
She was just getting started. From lambasting Canada over the lack of an aboriginal presence at the G8 Arctic confab, she went on to ingratiate herself with Canada by taking up the issue of abortion availability being an integral part of family planning counselling, and it was time Canada faced up to it.
She's right, of course, but hasn't her administration just backed down on providing access to abortion procedures through the recently-passed health care bill, stalled by the Republicans, effectively encouraging the Democrats to abandon their high-flown accessibility rhetoric? It's called political expedience, isn't it?
Political expedience does not make for a finely-tuned morality play. This executive envoy of the United States, an esteemed and carefully-handled-lest-she-bite guest in Canada, kind of overlooked the place of diplomacy by speaking directly to CTV of her decided discontent at Canada's decision to pull our troops out of Afghanistan. Oh. Dear.
Canada has learned to be a passive resister when it comes to American demands. We tend to overlook the presumptuousness of self-entitled, ill-mannered guests when they're American politicians. Opinions can and should be sought and freely given between associates, friends and neighbours, but those opinions should retain some civil circumspection.
Where President Obama's wide and brilliant smile disarmed Canadians, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's brusquely unsettling authoritarianism brought a wide and brilliant smile from us on her departure. Whew!
Labels: Canada/US Relations, Crisis Politics, Human Relations
posted by Pieface | 7:13 PM
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