Quality Leadership: How can the US get something right before us?

I believe in democracy but perhaps the interpretation we have created and implemented is not the right one. If a decision is too complicated for the average person to understand, i.e. global warming or a financial crisis, why should they have the right to select a course of action? Perhaps the more reasonable approach is through a representative (but in a different fashion than we currently implement). We currently elect representatives to fill these positions, although we do not directly assign them the positions. The PM selects elected representatives to fill cabinet positions and these individuals then make the decisions regarding complicated issues they sometimes are not fully able to comprehend. I simply have a tough time believing that Flaherty is the best person in Canada to be making economic decisions on behalf of the nation.

In the US I think things are done more appropriately. They elect a leader, someone who the people feel is capable of making the best possible decisions for the country, and although this person is often filled with flaws and the system has its flaws as well, they have gotten this part right. No constitution lives for 200 years without some correct portions. The President then selects his cabinet from anyone in the country, not just the elected members of his or her party as is the case in Canada. In the US the cabinet is represented on an issue such as the environment by a Nobel laureate, in Canada we get Jim Prentice. When an economic crisis threatens to destroy the financial system as we know it, Obama consults with the greatest economic minds of our generation, i.e. Warren Buffet; Harper consults with Flaherty and presumably a magic 8 ball.



Perhaps it is time to consider whether the only people making our decisions should be the elected representatives, who fought hard and long for the opportunity, or whether they should only play a role in these decisions. Now, one could argue that the bureaucrats make all the decisions anyways and the cabinet ministers are just puppets, but if this is the truth perhaps we should be questioning whether spending a long time in the civil service qualifies an individual to make decisions on behalf of the nation.

I am not saying we need to do away with democracy; I greatly appreciate the work of all civil servants, even the members of the senate (I personally know how hard it is to write reports about marijuana and Afghanistan). What I am saying is that perhaps it is time we think about who is making decisions on behalf of this nation, I do not think that the most qualified Canadians are Prentice and Flaherty and I think even Stephen Harper would agree with that.

Is it a pipe dream to think that the smartest and most qualified people should be making the most important decisions facing our country and not parliamentarians who, although they perform a great deed by representing the people, do not always have the greatest qualifications (“My dad was an MP”, “I was the leader of the National Citizens Coalition”, “I have a well defined jaw line”, “I had sex with Tie Domi”)? Canada has had a Nobel laureate lead us before, his name was Pearson and that brought us universal health care. How bad could more qualified candidates really be?



I am not excited to fall behind the US when it comes to fighting global warming or promoting social justice, but it looks to be the path that Canadians have chosen. Perhaps we should try letting wisdom rule, maybe then there will be justice.

C.

Proving Me Right

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081214.wdohcanada1214/BNStory/politics/home

I just wanted to point out this article to everyone so they can bask in all my glory (glory being how accurately I have been describing the intelligence of Canadians). Based on an Ipsos Reid survey the answers are shocking. Most noteworth, 75% of Canadians do not know who the head of state is and 51% think that we directly elect the Prime Minister. No wonder nobody understands the problems at hand. If this does not support my call for a reformed education system nothing will. At least I have one new ally in the struggle, Marc Chalifoux who comissioned this survey is quoted saying: "Our school system needs to be doing a better job of training young people to be citizens". I don't want to say I told you Canadians are ignorant, but I told you so. Please stop dissapointing me Canada and teach these people about the system.



Who do you think the head of state is (hint: its not the PM)

C.

Debt 101

It has been a while since I expressed my opinions, but I have returned and the topic of the day is Money (not the small amounts residing in my bank account but the large amounts collected, spent, and owed by the government of Canada).

$508 billion. That, my fiscally irresponsible previous generation, is the weight of what has been left to this generation, that is Canada’s debt. Now entering into another era of deficit financing I decided it would be important to have a quick look at it. Now I am not saying that a short term deficit is the worst thing we can do, especially considering the circumstances. I am saying that the current governments spending decisions are what destroyed the flexibility in the Federal surplus that could have allowed us the opportunity to combat this crisis without issuing bonds or turning into the US. This number may seem small compared to the trillions of dollars being allocated to bailout packages in other countries, but do not forget that this is not a large country. The public debt was estimated at 64.2% of our GDP last year (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ca.html) and will only increase with a deficit and shrinking economy. National debt is not the worst thing in the world, the same way mortgages and credit cards are not the worst thing, but not paying down the debt and adding to it, well that is where it starts to get bad.



How did the current government get us into this problem? They started off strong by cutting the GST (they are in fact considering the introduction of a third cut as part of a stimulus package (http://money.canoe.ca/News/Economy/2008/12/10/7700926-cp.html)- I personally have trouble believing that a 1% cut in taxes will motivate sales, considering people are fearful of losing their jobs). Then they greatly increased military spending (currently $20 billion annually – remember that we are paying to send soldiers to Afghanistan). These are good starters in lost revenue and crazy spending, but are just a sample of the information available to those of you who voted Conservative in the last election. So imagine we did still have a large budget surplus. Would we be able to finance a stimulus package, which economists recommend should be in the area of $16 billion, without entering into a deficit again? Would we be able to pursue green stimulus packages (i.e. high speed rail construction, wind mill construction, how about a machine that harnesses energy from waves which does exist) that not only invest in sustainable developments but are also proven to keep more of the money within the country than alternative stimulus packages creating high paying jobs in manufacturing, engineering, science, etc...)?

Oh the options that have been taken away from us by a party designed to motivate people utilizing cheep (ok extremely expensive) gimmicks. I am not trying to chastise everyone who voted Conservative in the last election, I am not saying it is your fault that Canada is in this terrible situation, I am saying that perhaps more people should pay more attention and stop being controlled by attack ads and political deception. Sure I love saving a few cents at Tim Horton’s on my steeped tea and sure I like thinking that sending people I know to Afghanistan to fight with people I am supposed to fear is keeping me safe. Sure I like to think that everyone who voted Conservative cares about the future of Canada and was only deceived into pawning the problems of the nation onto the guiltless next generation (especially me since I have no interest in paying down a debt created by the current government to solve problems it is partially at fault for creating – cough, Flaherty: “Ontario is the last place to invest”, cough).

So if you voted Conservative in the last election or ever consider voting that way in the future, I recommend you think long and hard about your legacy. Do you want to be viewed with admiration for standing up against insurmountable odds and endearing or do you want to be viewed as a generation that was fooled by Stephen Harper, a man who has done nothing deceive the nation, taking advantage of the ignorance (how many people understand the political system and the economic impact of a recession) and intolerance (Dion may not have spoken good English but his economic plan did not call for 6 months of no government during the worst economic crisis facing the generation). You can all make your own decisions, but next time you go to the polls try doing a little bit of research and I do not mean watching Harper’s commercials and quoting them. (“Dion is going to tax everything” – “Dion is out of touch” – “Harper looks like the steady hand we need at the helm, he wears sweater vests and his son is getting to that age where he doesn’t want to spend all his time with dad”.) Come on people get informed and stop embarrassing Canada, even the US was able to elect a leader who supports more than Big Oil and an insatiable quest for power.

C.