Donut diplomacy

The Prime Minister was at Tim Horton's  today while the rest of the world was watching Barack Obama at the United Nations.

I am off work on Wednesdays now, spending some quality time with smart people at Carleton University. I'm working on a long-term project about where Canadian politics meets consumerism. And look what happened while I was away... the Prime Minister goes and proves my point.

So while I guess while others may feel a bit squeamish about our PM ordering double-doubles and dipped donuts   while the world, literally, moved on without him, I, for one, am grateful. The leader of our country has chosen to re-announce a three-month-old decision by a donut company instead of taking part in a conversation at the United Nations. In so doing, he's given me a whole bunch of fodder for research about how politicians see us now as shoppers/eaters now instead of educated citizens. Thanks, PM.

Comments

[Gabby in QC]

" ... while the world, literally, moved on without him ..."

Umm, while you were rubbing elbows with all those smart people, maybe you missed what we coffee consumers heard from our PM re: Iran.

Just as Canada led the way in boycotting the Durban Conference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durban_Review_Conference
Canada also led the way in boycotting another barn-burner - or should that be kibbutz-burner? - of a speech by Ahmajinedad.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090923/Canada_Ahmadinejad_090923/20090923?hub=TopStories

Maybe part of the world moved on WITH him, eh?

[twitter.com/TwainShallMeet]

This little round trip Timmy's Run cost Canadian taxpayers about $60,000.oo and although the PM got a free donut or Two, It seemed a cowardly move to me.

Harper is in such denial of his true Record as a PM that he does not realize that the Leader of the opposition has been trying to point out that Harper is not doing enough to showcase Canada's potential for greatness. How did this help?

A chance to speak to the General Assembly of the United Nations is not the kind of Opportunity that happens by Everyday. It is, or should be, considered an Opportunity much too big to Ignore. The World needs new and innovative ideas and Harper has few of those. The Environmental issues discussed yesterday in Harper's Absence are at the root of the problem and at the Heart of the Solution. The Mission to stop global Climate change would be considered by better men to be "Too big to Fail".

Yet he ignores the reality, for the photo Opportunity, and that makes 2 days in a row.

Ms. Delacourt, it is more than coincidental that you used the word 'fodder' to describe this story, as I have been saying for months: Harper does not represent a father figure, nor a mentor, in any way but as a Comedian, i consider him to be my "Fodder".

Harper once again

[Catherine]

Enjoy your quality time at Carleton.

Maybe encourage your colleagues from the Press Gallery to gain some distance, some objectivity of the goings-on at the Hill.

We deserve better from most of them.

[Northern C]

All along, our prime minister has touted his Economics background as a key reason for keeping him in office. Yet, he demonstrates little in the fiscal managament or innovative economic policies necessary for the consumption of our collective needs when the means are scarce.

His true srength and focus is in fact on the Marketing of the Harper brand for our canadian market(place). And as any marketer will tell you, its all about the positioning. Timmy's provided the platform, Harper the messaging about his brand.

Its the Harper government, afterall, not the Canadian government.

[Gabby in QC]

Kim Leaman, it may have eluded your notice that our PM has been arguing since Canada ratified the Kyoto Accord that a global problem needs a global solution. And that whatever measures are implemented must be weighed against their effect on the economy.

Despite Al Gore's now near-billion dollar business of selling carbon-footprint erasers to the gullible (in the Middle Ages they called them indulgences: "An indulgence, in Catholic Theology, is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven." Wiki), the US did not ratify Kyoto because it too refused to transfer money to developing nations who were not doing anything to cut down their own GHGs.

This article is evidence that what PM Harper has been arguing all along is a valid point:
http://ca.news.finance.yahoo.com/s/21092009/24/f-afp-carbon-emissions-fall-global-downturn-report.html
“… Falling industrial output is largely responsible for the plunge in emissions, but other factors also played a role, including shelving plans for new coal-fired power stations because of falling demand and lack of financing. …”

Whenever the PM has said the government has to balance environmental concerns with economic ones, that is, that introducing some measures to supposedly help the environment could have an adverse effect on the economy, he has been widely criticized.

However, that AFP article shows that lower economic activity does equate with lower GHGs.
Are developed nations and their citizens willing to make that trade-off?
Are developing nations (esp. China, India) willing to slow down their own growth rate in order to improve their own carbon footprint?

If it’s a global problem, it requires a global solution. That has been the PM’s argument all along. Even President Obama has adopted the PM’s POV (cf. Obama’s UN speech). Aren’t you glad our PM has had that effect on him?

[Terry O'Shaunghnessy]

Kudos to our Prime Minister for skipping one of those boring old UN conferences to meet and greet the common folk at a good ole Tim Horton's! Sure, he could be in NY with dozens (hundreds?) of world leaders or he could be engaging in a pathetic PR ploy and acting in an infomercial for a profit-making entity. Stephen Harper, ladies and gentlemen. Let's give him a hand!

[Ozy3]

LOL! Hey Gabby from Qc. You're right: our Fearless Leader has a lot to teach people about boycotting international dialogue or talking to people he doesn't like. Just think: if Pearson had Harper's attitude, what would our reputation be today? And I'm sorry but Harper has absolutely no position on the environment, other than slamming Dion's Carbon Tax. Columnists in the Ottawa Citizen have claimed that Harper's "wisely" waiting for the US to announce it's approach before revealing his own. Really? Well, Steven Chu, Obama's Energy Secretary is pushing for a 'Carbon Tariff', much along the same lines as Dion's 'Carbon Tax'. So, Harper's waiting for ... what, exactly? A chance to further delay revealing ANY position on the environment, even though he knows he's already shot down what the Americans are thinking of introducing? And claiming that he's waiting for a global solution is another way of saying that he doesn't knwo what to do. Stop speaking for him and admit that he hasn't made any decisions on this topic. Your misguided denial is bizarre.

[Wilbil]

Can you imagine sitting at the UN listening to those who ramble on and on about nothing.....and I mean NOTHING!

I can see why Harper would say he would rather be supporting Tim Horton's and why not. All we hear from the Liberals is the government isn't doing enough, my guess is IGGY feels he's being ignored by Harper and I must admire Harper for this .........Iggy continues to say nothing! just Like the UN.
Kudos to Harper.

[Gabby in QC]

"Sure, he could be in NY with dozens (hundreds?) of world leaders ..."

All of whom have successfully eradicated world poverty, war, sickness, the devasting effects of droughts, monsoons, corruption and every other ill besetting humankind by their mere presence in the Big Apple.

Personally, I prefer a double-double to an empty talk-a-thon.

À chacun son goût.

[Ozy3]

A chacun son gout? Really? Even when he has a job as PM to represent this country at the UN at momentous occasions? Like Obama, Gordon Brown, Nicolas Sarkozy, et al? So, if I don't feel like showing up for work, can I call in to say: "a chacun son gout" and expect to keep my job? Remember that Harper is appealing the Khadr ruling to the Supreme Court to demand exclusive control over all international affairs matters. If he demands such control, then he has to do the job, irrespective of his personal dislikes. Oh, wait. I'm sorry - I forgot that Neocons define their priorities based on Stewie's personal ideology and dogma. Their only expectations of him are what he tells them to expect. No objective standards at play here. Sigh. When will Canadian Neocons earn their emancipation?

[Jennifer Pollock]

Harper was in denial and attempted to spin his way out of global issues.

I think Susan is onto something. How does Harper think or relate to the rest of us? Maybe Harper can only relate to private or personal concerns, not public or government ones. Maybe Harper isn't a dinosaur (collection of differentiated cells) metaphorically speaking, maybe he is closer to an amoeba (single celled organism). Harper seems most sincere when he says he doesn't see a role for government in ________(fill in the blank); like an amoeba who doesn't see a need for lungs, heart or brain. Harper's honesty is appealing, his ignorance (narrowness of his knowledge) not so much.