Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Interesting governing strategy

Am I beginning to see a pattern developing here?

Tories’ green plan to take shape, Many of programs likely to resemble scrapped Liberal plans with new names


And…


Ottawa aims to rebuild frayed ties with China


What's the overarching theme here? The Conservatives create the problem, and then they rush in later and try to take credit for fixing it. I think there may be a medical syndrome that describes this kind of behaviour, but it escapes me and google at the moment.


The Cons scrap a bunch of environmental programs just because they were launched by the Liberals, and then later they realize oh crap, some of those were good programs and we need them, so they revive them under different names (look for a big splash about their new environmental commitment) and hope no one notices they cut much of this stuff in the first place.


And they dial up the rhetoric on China to unnecessary levels for domestic political consumption, and then when business leaders express concern about the impact this may have on our trading relationship they go over to try to mend fences with a trade mission.


Does Steve-o perhaps have John "Let's manufacture a crisis" Snobelen on retainer?

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9 comments:

Jay said...

I think the disorder would be some variant of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

Olaf said...

Jeff,

Good one, but might I venture a defence?

I think it's a great idea to manufacture a crisis, because then you know there's actually a crisis, right? I mean, if Harper didn't repeal the Liberal programs, maybe the environment would have still been a crisis, but maybe not. Maybe the Liberal plan would have gone far enough, maybe not. NO ONE KNOWS! Maybe we needed more concerted action on the environment, but the Liberal programs made it look like we were doing something, even if it was insufficient, and thus may have reduced public resolve to actually find an appropriate solution.

This way, we're quite sure there's a crisis, and quite sure something has to be done about it. And who better than um... Mr. fixit John Baird.

Same with China. Our relationships have never been terribly rosy, but did it effect our trade relationship? Maybe, not quite sure. As such, it seems prudent to make absolutely sure that our trade is negatively effected, so that we know exactly what steps have to go into improving them.

If anything, Harper is just trying to create some certainty in government, and make sure that if he is going to tackle a problem, its a large enough problem to justify government intervention. Its called being a leader, Jeff. Read up on it.

Jeff said...

Similar Jay, but I'm not sure that's quite it. It's like setting a building on fire because you want the credit for calling the fire department. It's on the tip of my tongue.

Good one, but might I venture a defence?

Nothing ventured nothing gained, and while a spirited venture Olaf I'm not sure of the gain.

Long story short what you describe isn't leadership. A leader doesn't need to manufacture a crisis to create the impetus for action. They inspire the impetus with their reason, their debate, their actions...their leadership.

Harper always tells us he doesn't govern by polls, so he shouldn't care if a crisis hasn't been created to get people clamoring for action. If an issue needs action he should take it, and rally the people to his side, behind his mission.

That, I'd argue, would be leadership.

Jay said...

Factitious disorder?

Thanks a lot, now I 'm obsessed with what its called.

:|

I was a psych major unti I switched to environmental science.

This is really burning me!

Karen said...

Delusional, hero status, vote seeking, disorder?

Sorry, :).

What is, humuorous though is the thought that this is going to work.

Dan McKenzie said...

Hopefully they'll also change their minds about the Prison Tattoo program because as it turns out the program was having positive influences.

Did they end up cancelling the safe injection site?

Jay said...

Not yet, but Clement did a photo op at one earlier in the month.

Olaf said...

Jeff,

Well, I did my best. And in hindsight, I really shouldn't have given you another opportunity to muse on Harper's leadership qualities. And all for a cheap laugh - will I ever learn?

Jeff said...

Did they end up cancelling the safe injection site?

They gave it an extension so it could be studied more, basically it's on life support.