Phendrana Drifts

I was reading with interest the great column by Doug Saunders in today's Globe and Mail, A World of Maher Arars, which looked at the unfolding political situation in Italy where right-of-centre, normally pro-American and anti-terrorist politicians are working to bring down Romano Prodi's left government over pro-American policies like involvement in Afghanistan and allowing American bases on Italian soil to continue and expand. I won't steal the column's thunder and reiterate points that Saunders makes much better than I could, but it did remind me of another headline I saw this week (the Edmonton Sun... shudder) which had Prime Minister Harper's quote that Arctic sovereignty should be one of the lasting legacies of his government - link to the story. Promoting our sovereignty over the Arctic is perhaps the policy move that would most piss off the United States who rely upon being allowed to slink under our Arctic waters in submarines for their nuclear strategy.

Now, I've always been one who has said that Harper's conservativism has far more in common with the right of centre movement in Australia and New Zealand than anything in the United States, but it is becoming increasingly vogue for right of centre politicians in Canada and Europe to at the very least distance themselves from the United States and George W. Bush. I am certain that electoral gains has a lot to do with it, in Canada it is simply good politics to tastefully bash the USA. But I think there is ultimately more to it.

Another interesting fault line to watch is the conservatives in the United Kingdom (where I would very comfortably vote Conservative). Environmentalist, pro-American but certainly not blindly so, and looking to good conservative policies (as well as an increased look at improving the quality of life, something which should not be owned solely by the left of any political landscape). David Cameron's view of the United States may go even further than "We must be steadfast not slavish in how we approach the special relationship... Questioning the approach of the US administration, trying to learn the lessons of the past five years, does not make you anti-American."

As the American primaries heat up, and the expressions of post-Bush Republican policy start coming out, I would not be shocked to see even more rejections and even attacks by other conservatives outside of the US on what might come out by McCain, Giuliani and others.

Labels: federal politics

Twitter Updates

2 Comments: