HarperCrit, BushCo & Mulroney

Second only to the sycophantic drivel that has come out of both Harper and Mackay after their first meetings with members of BushCo, we are treated to Brian Mulroney waxing philosophical about how we should "engage" the United States.

According to Mr. Mulroney, Harper is "off to a good start". Hmmm - off to a good start by cuddling up with a President that is arguably the most dangerous President in American History, as well as being possibly the most unpopular in history.

Meanwhile, The HarperCrit and his Lapdog seem bound and determined to piss off China.

Let's talk a little about long range political thinking - BushCo has a maximum of 2 years left - China - decades. By the time Bush leaves the Whitehouse, the US will be deeper in debt than it has ever been, and its economy will have been hollowed out by consumer debt and financing multiple wars in the Middle East.

On the other side of the coin, China is booming - growing at over 10% per year, and is probably the single biggest opportunity for Canadian economic interests in terms of trading partners. Yes, even an economically disabled United States will remain a huge force in world economics for years to come, but China is not to be ignored.

Mulroney and Harper err considerably in their view that we must cuddle up with the current Whitehouse administration. Not only is a cozy relationship with BushCo folly on the world stage, it is simply bad policy. BushCo has demonstrated absolutely no wisdom with regards to world affairs, their own economy or much of anything else. What on earth would make one believe that such a myopic vision of the world is going to lead anywhere but to tragedy?

The former prime minister said "there are few durable solutions on the environment on any other international issue without the engagement of the United States and the leadership of its president."

Wrong. Not just a little bit wrong, but outright wrong. The United States thinks it is the economic gravity well of the world. But a burgeoning trade deficit in all directions leaves the US in a very vulnerable position. Having gutted their own manufacturing base in their rush to "globalize", the US is eminently vulnerable to commercial sanctions. What would happen if the US suddenly found itself unable to import cheap consumer goods from Asia? Natural resources from Canada?

Policy can be coerced in multiple directions by many forces. I think most of the world has long ago resigned itself to the stone-headed thickness of BushCo and is quietly biding their time to see what the next administration looks like. Just about anything is going to be more readily reasoned with than BushCo.

As for the HarperCrit, by taking advice from Brian Mulroney, he tars himself with the same brush. Canadians would do well to recall just how much damage Mulroney's policies ultimately did to this nation.