When he's 64

This ought to cheer up  Michael Ignatieff. Foreign Policy Magazine has released its list of the 100 top global thinkers today, and the Liberal leader makes the #64 spot. As well, Foreign Policy makes a bold prediction for his future:

64. Michael Ignatieff

for showing that not all academics are irrelevant.

Liberal Party leader | Canada

Poised to become Canadian prime minister next year, only five years after leaving Harvard University's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, Ignatieff is out to prove the relevance of academia -- and big ideas -- in politics. Ignatieff's writing on the sometime necessity of "violence … coercion, secrecy, deception, even violation of rights" to fight terrorism has made him a singular voice among Canadian liberals. His 2004 book, The Lesser Evil, made the case that targeted violence was necessary to prevent the possibility of falling victim to greater violence, but stressed that democratic states should not employ torture or be motivated by national pride or revenge. In 2006 he was elected to Canada's House of Commons and in 2008 became leader of the Liberal Party. As a politician, he's renewed his party's focus on human rights, the war in Afghanistan, and more recently, global climate change, which he defines in characteristically utilitarian fashion as "redistributing risk to the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world."

Comments

[Hervelanglois@hotmail.com]

After having Harper for four years, is Canada ready for a "global thinker?"

[Dick Richards]

This seems to be one more instance of the rest of the world giving far too much credit to Canada

[Speak Up]

a "thinker" in politics? isn't that an oxymoron?

[westerngirl]

This only makes me think less of Foreign Policy magazine. Surely this was written long before it became obvious that Iggy isn't the "man" everyone thought or hoped he was or could be?

[cpg]

Geez...a top global thinker...YET, no policies, no platform...no decisions of any kind...OLO is in shambles...and he doesn't even yet know if he supports the HST...a tax implemented by the Liberals in Atlantic Canada as a replacement for the GST...and they call this man a thinker...

[Nola]

Under Ignatieff's "intellectual" leadership of the Liberal party, their polling popularity has steadily sunk to record low levels .. and Ignatieff's own personal popularity as a 'leader' is below that of PM Harper and Jack Layton. Ignatieff is a 'bust' as a national leader and there is no way his image as a leader can be resurrected. Ignatieff is perceived as a flip-flopping, hectoring professor who just doesn't connect with Canadians and is not worthy to be PM of Canada. .... It's only a matter of time before he relinquishes the leadership of the Liberal party and returns to his academic ivory tower ... somewhere away from Canada.

[Fred]

Thinkers are poor leaders.

[F Lloyd]

"...Poised to become Canadian prime minister next year...." Really?? Anyone at that magazine willing to take bets? because I'm pretty sure that's news to millions of Canadians.

[wilson]

Well, that explains why Ignatieff sits in the teens in Canadian opinion polls,
they haven't read Foreign Policy Magazine !

[Ron]

It is quite funny to hear that Ignatieff is considered a thinker on the world stage because since moving to Canada he has been anything but. He has shown himself to be weak willed, spineless when called to defend his prior positions and hyper partisan and petty personally when dealing with today's issues. He has yet to provide one single "big" idea let alone a set of policies that Canadians could look at. No, I think, he is a great cocktail smoozer with the ability to pull the wool over the eyes of the "elite" but when it comes to dealing with reality, he has failed miserably -- that may change but to date he has proven that old maxum -- those than can do; those that can't teach.

[Brock]

As a politician he has renewed his party's focus, which can be changed on a moments notice, or flipped back to orginal focus, or perhaps circumvented for another more posthumous reason...as a leader its his whimsy!

[Hayley]

"Ignatieff's writing on the sometime necessity of "violence … coercion, secrecy, deception, even violation of rights" to fight terrorism has made him a singular voice among Canadian liberals"

No kidding its made him a singular voice.

[Jeff]

wow... clearly written by someone who has never met Michael Ignatieff or seen him in action.

[Joe Bloe]

After having a Kenyan at the U.S. helm, for a half year, are we sure that the "progressive thinking" helps generate positive action?

[lorne]

Foriegn Policy Magazine has a better opinion of this guy than 77% of Canadians,with the Libs at 23% in the polls Iggy will be drawing his Old Age Pension long before he becomes Prime Minister

[BC Voice of Reason]

The bi-monthly Foreign policy magazine aimed at a global audience "claims circulation of 100,000 and it notes that its website is fast growing, though no numbers were given out." From the press release when Washington Post bought it.

For comparison Maclean's weekly has a circulation of 350,000.

Is it news worthy when an obtuse "Arts" publication with minimal impact and/or scope supports one of their own in his own failed adventure?

[Durward]

Does not say much for the magazine then does it.
Iggy a university educated part time Professor falls 100% for the Global warming scam when it takes only grade eight earth sciences to debunk is a thinker? LOL

[Phil]

Michael Ignatieff will never form a government in Canada.
The liberal party has no credibility in western Canada where all the growth is, and the party has lost traction in Quebec. Iggy will lose the next election and be removed as leader, probably replaced by Bob Rae who would even be more of a disaster in western Canada.Perhaps it is time to think of a future without the liberal Party being a major Party and the N.D.P. being the left of centre party of growth.

[Andrew]

And James Hansen as #68 praised for politcizing CO2 and climate change.

I guess this list was compiled some time ago, at least before Climategate and maybe even before Iggy's vainglorious boast to bring down the CPC government ASAP.

[Barry W]

So, 64th in the opinion of a magazine that most have never heard of and even fewer have read. Let Iggy take that to the polls.......

[Verna Robarts]

Wow... These awards are really flying around...heard Obama is getting the Nobel Peace Prize after a few months in office. All Liberal all the time. Whats his views on Torture again?

[MyThought]

Oh boy, the Tory supporters are out in full force. Typical, can't be proud.

The New Yorker magazine has photos of the 44 most influencial leaders - Harper's not among them, yet Chavez is.

[Ozy3]

I was always taught that if I didn't have anything nice to say about someone, then I shouldn't say anything at all. So, as far as Mr. Ignatieff is concerned: " ".
Thank you.