Ads: The view from afar

Janalee Cherneski is a Rhodes scholar, a Canadian studying at Oxford, who is taking the Conservative ads against Ignatieff a little personally. She's posted an essay here, at The Mark, a neat new website featuring essays by smart young (and some older) folks.

Her last three paragraphs  should be put on a billboard, in my view: 

Why, then, are our current leaders launching advertising campaigns to attack each other? Why would we even think about spending money to attack one of our citizens instead of to provide tools for the people of our country to learn and to communicate with each other?

We need people who can cooperate across their differences. We must empower leaders who foster community rather than conflict:, leaders who succeed for society through a politics of unity rather than succeed for themselves through a politics of division.

I am worried, Canada. I am partly worried for myself: when I come back to serve you with the knowledge and experience I have gained from afar, will you call me opportunistic and turn on me too? But I worry more for you: once you start rejecting the skills and knowledge of your own citizens where will that leave you, O[h] Canada?

 

Comments

[Eric.wrate@sympatico.ca]

re the - Inquiry:

If a deposit is made for a contract, it is held until the work is done. On completion of the work, it is usual to submit an Invoice for the work done and GST is charged. As the name implies - this TAX also covers SERVICE. Why is it that Mr. Mulroney DID NOT PAY GST on $300,000.\Thank You
EW

[Observant]

Janalee is just blowing smoke because she realizes that the CPC has just torn a strip off her beloved Liberal party leader .. and she's taking the principled but fallacious high road by attacking the messenger and invoking the pain of the masses in the current economic downturn. How dare Harper attack erudite intellect Ignatieff and expose his warts and weaknesses. Of course socialistic women are aghast at capitalistic men jousting while children are suffering. But then, studying at Oxford allows her to share her angst over Ignatieff's tribulations in Canada.

[hollinm]

Of course the article Ms. Delacourt is reporting on appears on the CBC website.
The fact is there is a concerted effort by the media to protect Mr. Ignatieff from these truth ads. The young lady who is being quoted is talking about being away attending school. That is not the point.
The point is Ignatieff is back in Canada after being away for virtually his whole adult life because the back room boys of the Liberal party promised he would become leader of the Liberal party and potentially PM.
Otherwise he would be still teaching at Harvard. That is the point and the other spin is plainly disingenuous. He did not come back for any other compelling reason.
Canadians will make up their own minds whether the ads have merit or not and they do not need the media and chattering class telling them what they should think of them.
The fact remains the media and particularly the Toronto Star have given Mr. Ignatieff a free ride and so the void is now being filled by his political opponents.

[bettie]

Dear JanaLee, A very clever article. It's not clear, however, if you intend to stay abroad for another 30 or so years, and then expect to be promised the leadership of a political party, aspiring to become Prime Minister of the country you have been 'unfaithful' to. Do you go around England saying, 'We English'? Just wondering.

We, also, have lived abroad. Five years in France many years ago, and lately, another six years. We have been back in Canada less than two years.

Due to the internet, it was easier to keep up with political events this last time than it was during our first junket abroad. But let me tell you, JanaLee, it is NOT the same as living in the country. We had lived in Manitoba for most of our lives, and I kept abreast of provincial news there. I could tell you everything you want to know about Elijah Harper and the Meech Lake accord as it related to Manitoba. Now, after being away from that province for nine years, I have no clue what is going on there politically.

Currently, we are living in Sask., and have for the past two years. Having not lived here before, I feel totally out of the loop (but learning some) politically speaking. I don't know the players, nor the intricacies of the politcal events. I had never heard of Lingenfelter (I think that's his name) and what he had done when he was on the government side in parliament. But the people who have lived here for most of their lives, know all about his political life and policies.

I could go on... but just to let you know, my dear, that one does not KNOW the country if you have been away for 34 years as one would having lived, worked, paid taxes, and been involved in Canadian life during those 34 years.

Cheers,

[MyThoughts]

They're all acting like Ignatieff hasn't been in Canada at all in those 34 years. He has family here - he did a road trip in 2000 across Canada, he can read, he knows people that are Canadian, etc., etc.

[jenna]

For a little bit of balance on this issue, read this piece by Elisabeth Eaves, a Canadian journalist who writes for Forbes magazine.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/30/michael-ignatieff-liberal-convention-opinions-columnists-ottawa-canada.html

[Ron]

The Conservatives went through all the same kind of attacks, name calling, holier than thou outrage when they launched the ads pointing out the truth about Dion - he did not get the job done on the environment, he was not a leader and his economic tax plans were not worth the risk during a severe world wide crisis. Now, again, they are pointing out the truth of what Mr. Ignatieff has said and done during his professional career and the CBC, Star and other Liberal PR groups are whining and crying. The facts are that Mr. Ignatieff is a self-serving, egotistical, liar and the Canadian media is trying to protect the Liberal party - that is why they are upset at the truth in these ads.

[woods]

Janalee Cherneski is absolutely right to expect better. If she is interested in public service at some point, I hope the current sorry state of politics in Canada will not stop her from trying to be a force for positive change from the inside.

[woods]

An interesting article, jenna, with a lot of criticism, but also praise. I don't think the author understands nationalism and belonging as well as Ignatieff, though (not a criticism, as this is Ignatieff's field.) She writes:

" "Statelessness is the very definition of modern hell," he says. "Just ask illegal immigrants or people without papers what they want. They want a country." Yes and no. Statelessness may be a hell, but not for lack of a passport, per se. People want food, shelter, safety and freedom; they want a nation to the extent that it provides those things."

If one has talked to people who have food, shelter, and safety - as some stateless people given refuge in Canada do - they do want a country, their own country. Ignatieff is right on that. Any off topic, but it struck me that some of her analysis might be superficial. Still, an interesting column.