It's been a cool, misty, sometimes rainy day. Today's weather actually reminded me of a Halifax, NS day except for the early morning thunder. When I went out to get the newspaper just after six am this morning, I could already hear thunder. When I got home just after six this evening, the picture to the right was the view from the deck. We have gotten some rain, but not a lot. My rain gauge shows around one half inch since Saturday.
I just ran across an editorial by Linda McQuaig in the Toronto Star. The piece, "He's aping Bush and seems too fond of secrecy," talks about how much the recently elected Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper acts like our President Bush.
Still, Canadians were aware when they elected Harper — giving him a weak mandate — that he favours tougher crime laws, less generous social policy and more tax cuts.
What they didn't know is that he's also secretive and arrogant. Another thing Canadians might not have known because it didn't come up much in the campaign, is that the Prime Minister is bent on refashioning Canada's role in the world, bringing us closer in line with Washington.
Harper's secrecy is disturbing. We need more transparency and accessibility in government, not less. Yet already Harper is strangely inaccessible to the media, which, for most of the public, offers the only window on government.
In general being a Canadian and imitating anything American is a good way to get in trouble in Canada. Canadians want to be Canadians whatever that happens to be. I'm not sure they've figured out exactly what that is, but they are sure they don't want to be like Americans. That much I am sure of.
Actually complaining about their government is much more of a sport in Canada than it is in America. I think most Canadians secretly know that government is something that they just have to endure. Complaining just makes it easier to take all the government craziness.
Well we don't have to worry about Canada invading any countries so I'm sure things won't get too out of hand north of the border.
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