Canadian Federal Politics Thread v4

[Baron von Kriterium]

Saint Justin must be truly sad this afternoon, despite wearing his best socks.


Alas, now Ireland & Norway can chip away, with minimal results, within a dysfunctional Council ruled by the Big Five, and accomplish absolutely nothing for their efforts, however noble their efforts may be.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

Hopefully this is a reality slap to Canadians that no one gives a frig about us, what we say, or what we do. And that's actually a good thing. We've now lost to Norway Ireland and Portugal who COMBINED have like half our population. Maybe it's time to look inward and focus on Canada for Canadians, making smart decisions about our economy and way of life and not pay attention to snipes from Europeans and Americans because when the chips are down we don't matter. If we can't win a security council seat over irrelevant European nations then it should be apparent to everyone that our pathetic self flagellation on climate and other issues won't count for dick all in changing people's attitudes or convincing other countries to follow us over the cliff. Let's give up on this fantasy and start wielding some non-expiring actual power, economic power. Elbowing in on the global commodity trade to displace volumes from terrible regimes across the world would be a good start.

And I agree with Pepsifree, let's do some actual good with charitable efforts in the third world and judge ourselves on that too.

I agree with pretty much all of this. Canadians have this weird desperation for world approval when the reality is no one gives two craps about Canada when the chips are down. Canada is always an easy target to criticize because we fight back like a wet noodle.

No one listens to us when we tell them how responsibly we are extracting our oil and the advances in technology that comes along with it. Last I heard, Norway is set to drill more offshore oil wells than ever, yet where's the criticisms leveled at them for endangering ocean life? They're always held as the poster child of a model ran country.

So I say screw trying to gain this approval from the rest of the world already, and all at the expense of sewering our own resources and economy. Focus on our own country.

[Flacker]

Not sure I would call any one of Norway, Portugal, or Ireland, irrelevant.

[Erick Estrada]

Justin's dream may be on hold but in other news;

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/sing...cist-1.4988470

[Oling_Roachinen]

Good for Singh.

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

And I agree with Pepsifree, let's do some actual good with charitable efforts in the third world and judge ourselves on that too.

Good idea but Something tells me that isn’t the MO of our photo op PM.

[Strange Brew]

I haven't followed this issue at all, but how exactly is a country like Norway considered to have more clout on the world stage than Canada. I have heard that Canada's role in international peacekeeping has been on the significant decline.

Is that the reason for this? Lack of financial and military commitment to UN initiatives? Compared to Norway and Ireland?

Just curious really.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I haven't followed this issue at all, but how exactly is a country like Norway considered to have more clout on the world stage than Canada. I have heard that Canada's role in international peacekeeping has been on the significant decline.

Is that the reason for this? Lack of financial and military commitment to UN initiatives? Compared to Norway and Ireland?

Just curious really.

Absolutely. Ireland is highly committed and has been for decades, they contribute a greater percentage of their income to foreign development efforts. So does Norway. And they both contribute more in terms of "boots on the ground" if you want to put it that way, with Ireland supply hundreds of peacekeepers, and Norway sending double that of Canada.

I believe that being involved in the UN is important, and I believe that we should be doing significantly more. But having a seat at the table is meaningless, it's simply a reflection of what you're actually doing. Ireland and Norway are better world citizens than Canada.

To disagree with Dirac a bit, it's not that the world doesn't give a #### about Canada. It's that Canada can't pretend to give a #### about the world and ask for recognition anyway.

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I haven't followed this issue at all, but how exactly is a country like Norway considered to have more clout on the world stage than Canada. I have heard that Canada's role in international peacekeeping has been on the significant decline.

Is that the reason for this? Lack of financial and military commitment to UN initiatives? Compared to Norway and Ireland?

Just curious really.

This is just a guess, but I think people are starting to see Justin for what he really is...an actor and a phony.

[nik-]

A temporary security council seat is basically a reflection of Canada's opinion of itself internationally. A place where you can make stands that no one really cares about or is influenced by in the slightest. Who cares if we're on it or not, it's a farce.

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by nik-

A temporary security council seat is basically a reflection of Canada's opinion of itself internationally. A place where you can make stands that no one really cares about or is influenced by in the slightest. Who cares if we're on it or not, it's a farce.

It is very much a charade. If you aren't permanent member (China, France, Russia, UK, USA), and you don't hold veto power, you have no power or even much influence.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

This is just a guess, but I think people are starting to see Justin for what he really is...an actor and a phony.

This is wishful thinking.

Other leaders have known what he is for some time now, even if that's "an actor and a phony." There is no reputational significance to this vote. The work simply wasn't done, and we were up against two countries who did the work.

[monkeyman]

I know I really cared.
Just kidding, the only one who cared was Justin, enough so that it likely affected some of his decisions on foreign and national policy.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by nik-

A temporary security council seat is basically a reflection of Canada's opinion of itself internationally. A place where you can make stands that no one really cares about or is influenced by in the slightest. Who cares if we're on it or not, it's a farce.

It is more or less a recognition that our foreign policy has been a farce for decades.

[flamesfever]

Some of Trudeau's efforts in gaining a seat at the UN must have seemed odd.

When getting a chance to speak at the UN, his speech was on Indigenous issues, which IMO was way off the mark. It applied more to domestic rather than international affairs, and I don't think accomplished anything that worked in our favor.

Also his actions on Climate Change didn't seem to jive with the leader of a Country that is fourth in the world in oil production.

Also, while the world press was reporting on Canada being in crisis mode, with our railroads shut down by FN people, Trudeau was busy shaking hands with various dignitaries to try and solicit their votes for a seat at the UN.

I believe that, under Trudeau, Canada is generally perceived around the world a puppet/satellite of the US. I think Trudeau's latest reluctance to speak (for 21 seconds) when asked about his stance on Trump's use of military force on protesters, tended to reinforce this view. Although his party, and members of our Liberal biased press, tried to spin it differently.

[Weitz]

im drunk ignore me

[Looch City]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Justin's dream may be on hold but in other news;

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/sing...cist-1.4988470

Not surprising from the BQ...the party that brought you the face coverings AKA burqa ban.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

Some of Trudeau's efforts in gaining a seat at the UN must have seemed odd.

His speech to the UN on Indigenous issues, was way off the mark. It applied more to domestic rather than international issues, and I don't think helped our case.

Also his actions on Climate Change didn't seem to jive with the leader of a Country that is fourth in the world in oil production.

Also, while the world press was talking about Canada being in crisis mode, with our railroads shut down by FN people, Trudeau was busy shaking hands with various dignitaries to try and solicit their votes for a seat at the UN.

You have to add to that the effects of his blunders.


His debacle in India, and then it really blew up when he lied about the results of his visit with India in terms of jobs and trade and was promptly called out for it by the Indian government further chilling the relations between the two countries.


His antics in Australia.


Pre the China troubles when he went to China to talk about a trade deal, proceeded to lecture the Chinese on Human Rights and had half of the Chinese business leaders in attendance walk out.

[Ped]

While I doubt many Canadians, if any, consider not getting the security seat an embarrassment, because they don't care, it's equally obvious that this was something Trudeau really wanted.


I don't think he feels embarrassed, exactly, because he doesn't appear to have a whole of shame in him. I'm sure he's not at all happy about it, but how to quantify that exactly, really only he can say.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

I believe that, under Trudeau, Canada is generally perceived around the world a puppet/satellite of the US.

Isn't that the way it's been for a long, long time?