August1991 Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 (edited) IF you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you... ... If I had 30 seconds with Stephen Harper, after ensuring that he understood the idea of comparative advantage, I would advise him to read this Rudyard Kipling poem. If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch, if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! Link ---- I suspect that Stephen Harper faces many people telling him that he is doing something wrong. All things considered, from CAQ to Alberta, Ontario to Obama, I happen to think that Harper is keeping his head. Edited February 25, 2012 by August1991 Quote
waldo Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 I suspect that Stephen Harper faces many people telling him that he is doing something wrong. I expect Mr. Harper finds a balance with the flock of sycophants, lapdogs and hanger-ons that are so willing to ignore the failings, opting instead to throw platitudes... or even to wax poetically over him! Quote
August1991 Posted February 25, 2012 Author Report Posted February 25, 2012 (edited) I expect Mr. Harper finds a balance with the flock of sycophants, lapdogs and hanger-ons that are so willing to ignore the failings, opting instead to throw platitudes... or even to wax poetically over him! The English media in Toronto constantly criticizes Harper and the Conservatives. Today, it is about robocalls. Tomorrow, it will be something else.The French media in Montreal constantly critizises Harper and the Conervatives. Today, it is about the rise of Marois, the ROC-Tory/Quebec-NDP political divide, the gun registry or unilingual federal candidates. Demain, on parlera d'autres choses. ---- I happen to think that Harper is keeping his head, despite all the noise around him and despite the fact that he is in the first year of a majority government. (Unlike Mcguinty, Harper has a majority government. And unlike Charest, Harper has several years before an election.) Harper's cool head is remarkable. Someone should tell him that many (otherwise silent) people appreciate his ability to keep his head. Edited February 25, 2012 by August1991 Quote
cybercoma Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 IF you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you... ... If I had 30 seconds with Stephen Harper, after ensuring that he understood the idea of comparative advantage, I would advise him to read this Rudyard Kipling poem. Link ---- I suspect that Stephen Harper faces many people telling him that he is doing something wrong. All things considered, from CAQ to Alberta, Ontario to Obama, I happen to think that Harper is keeping his head. It's easy to appear as though you're keeping your head when you're fake. The information that comes from the entire party is tightly controlled and he mostly throws his cabinet ministers and MPs in the line of fire, while he hides. Quote
waldo Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 Harper's cool head is remarkable. ya, ya... we've become quite familiar with these deflection/distraction threads of yours - so brazenly transparent! In any case, your described "Mr. Harper cool" => "Mr. Harper oblivious" Quote
August1991 Posted February 25, 2012 Author Report Posted February 25, 2012 It's easy to appear as though you're keeping your head when you're fake. The information that comes from the entire party is tightly controlled and he mostly throws his cabinet ministers and MPs in the line of fire, while he hides.Stephen Harper (and his family) live in a bubble.The bubble? Many people want to speak to him, and many other people want to control who has access. In all of this, I am surprised that Harper seems to have managed to keep his head. ----- This is the 21st century. He can phone Mulroney, Paul Martin - and I suspect that they'll be discrete. I still wonder whether Stephen Harper has met Paul Desmarais, in person. Quote
olpfan1 Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 (edited) Rofl, this is a pathetic thread, Harper keeping his head? how do you know? He's rarely seen in public anymore.. when he is seen he's doing photo ops Canadian PMs rarely show emotion in public, how do you know how he is in private? How old are you August? 21 years old? Is your next thread going to be "Harpers shit doesn't stink?" Edited February 25, 2012 by olpfan1 Quote
Wild Bill Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 It's easy to appear as though you're keeping your head when you're fake. The information that comes from the entire party is tightly controlled and he mostly throws his cabinet ministers and MPs in the line of fire, while he hides. Why should he hide, CC? He has a solid majority and years before the next election! There's a lot of criticism from some groups, but those are mostly people who would never vote for him anyway! Who cares what they think? We've heard such noises after every election in Canada's history! I think many of his critics are overplaying their hand. They are starting to sound shrill and irrational, even when Harper is deserving of criticism! When they start to make mountains out of molehills and make big cases out of things that Joe Average couldn't care less about they start to look and sound like the Loony Left of 1980's Britain. That is a VERY dumb thing to do politically! Times have changed and we have an older voting demographic. Being old doesn't make you any more or less right in your political choices but it DOES make you less impressed with shouting and "rah rah"! An older voter likes to back what seems to make sense, even if he's wrong about it. Harper fits that model. The Occupy movement does not! The Left runs a very real risk of making themselves look like a bunch of braying adolescents, noisily sounding fire and fury but signifying nothing, as the old poem goes. This is not to say that the Left is always wrong, just that their presentation and image can hurt their cause rather than help. Sadly for the NDP, they show no signs of getting a leader as down to earth and practical as Jack. At least, not so far. As for the Liberals, they desperately need another Chretien! Alas, it looks like they will end up with another Dion or worse yet, a Hedy Fry clone! Harper has successfully turned the tables! It's not that he's a great choice but that he has no effective competition! That's what kept Chretien in power all those years. Such situations are NOT good for Canada! Quote "A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul." -- George Bernard Shaw "There is no point in being difficult when, with a little extra effort, you can be completely impossible."
Michael Hardner Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 Rofl... How old are you August? 21 years old? Is your next thread going to be "Harpers shit doesn't stink?" You came on this thread to insult? Quote Looks like someone has a new patronizing catch phrase ! Michael Hardner
Guest Manny Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 Why should he hide, CC? He has a solid majority and years before the next election! Exactly why he can appear to remain so "calm". It's all good baby, and he's still got years to go before he has to face the public. For now, he can walk with kings. And we note, his feet don't hardly touch the ground... Quote
Guest American Woman Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 I suspect that Stephen Harper faces many people telling him that he is doing something wrong.All things considered, from CAQ to Alberta, Ontario to Obama, I happen to think that Harper is keeping his head. I suspect that he faces many people telling him that he is doing things right, too - people doting on him. He's in the limelight, in a position of power - I'm sure he expects there to be people telling him he is doing something wrong. In fact, if he were pleasing some of those people, he'd likely be thinking that he was doing something wrong. At any rate, one doesn't get to be PM without having had to face - and deal with - criticism; and I truly believe one doesn't attain that level of achievement without their own opinion of themselves being more important than others' opinions of them. Quote
olpfan1 Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 You came on this thread to insult? You erased most of my post so did I only come here to insult... no however you only came here to misrepresent what I said.. which is typical of you because you do it a lot Quote
Michael Hardner Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 You erased most of my post so did I only come here to insult... no however you only came here to misrepresent what I said.. which is typical of you because you do it a lot The point is that there was an insult in there, or am I wrong ? Quote Looks like someone has a new patronizing catch phrase ! Michael Hardner
olpfan1 Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 (edited) The point is that there was an insult in there, or am I wrong ? Its a troll thread.... it doesnt even belong in federal politics discussion this is not news Edited February 25, 2012 by olpfan1 Quote
Michael Hardner Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 Its a troll thread.... it doesnt even belong in federal politics discussion this is not news August1991 is a serious poster here and not a troll. Sometimes his posts are less about the news than about bigger ideas: the differences between "right" and "left", or long term trends and how they relate to our history. He'll also post about the personalities of leaders, and how they may appear in history books in 50 or 100 years. Not news, but it is discussion - and August is usually good at generating discussion. Quote Looks like someone has a new patronizing catch phrase ! Michael Hardner
olpfan1 Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 Okay, since this is serious I would like to add a serious comment Hitler also once had a "cool head" but we all know what happened to him when he lost it Here's hoping Harper decides to invade Russia Quote
Shady Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 In any case, your described "Mr. Harper cool" I can see why you'd be so upset. After all, cool is how you describe Obama right? don't forget the Obama 'cool factor' Quote
waldo Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 I can see why you'd be so upset. After all, cool is how you describe Obama right? my equating described "Harper cool" to "Harper oblivious" is hardly being upset Shady... granted, given your overblown need to ratchet anything/everything up to the most radical extremes and your penchant for over-the-top blustering, its not surprising to read you misinterpret calm, rational dialogue. Quote
PIK Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 Rofl, this is a pathetic thread, Harper keeping his head? how do you know? He's rarely seen in public anymore.. when he is seen he's doing photo ops Canadian PMs rarely show emotion in public, how do you know how he is in private? How old are you August? 21 years old? Is your next thread going to be "Harpers shit doesn't stink?" It is called working, not like the leadErs we are use to. Yes he keeps his cool, head down and moving along to keep this country strong, and thank god it is him and not the lib/ndp COMBO that would have put us up there with greece or ONT. Quote Toronto, like a roach motel in the middle of a pretty living room.
PIK Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 Okay, since this is serious I would like to add a serious comment Hitler also once had a "cool head" but we all know what happened to him when he lost it Here's hoping Harper decides to invade Russia When in doubt bring up hitler, you look so foolish. You attitude is what infects the left and that is why the right will be leading this country for a long time. You hitting Israel apartide week in TO. Quote Toronto, like a roach motel in the middle of a pretty living room.
Topaz Posted February 25, 2012 Report Posted February 25, 2012 IF a leader believes in what he is doing is right, truthful, why worry about keeping your head? Critics and opposition parties are there to oppose the PM or leader, to show other ideas that may be better ones than the PM. The problem arises, when you have a narrow-minded leader,who only thinks what he is doing is the ONLY way. It shouldn't be Right or Left, it should always be Right and Wrong. If the Tories are being attacked its because of all the scams and schemes that have to connected to them since 2006, which THEY have created. Quote
August1991 Posted March 3, 2012 Author Report Posted March 3, 2012 (edited) I suspect that he faces many people telling him that he is doing things right, too - people doting on him.He's in the limelight, in a position of power - I'm sure he expects there to be people telling him he is doing something wrong. In fact, if he were pleasing some of those people, he'd likely be thinking that he was doing something wrong. At any rate, one doesn't get to be PM without having had to face - and deal with - criticism; and I truly believe one doesn't attain that level of achievement without their own opinion of themselves being more important than others' opinions of them. AW, have you ever had a job where you faced public criticsm? It's hard. We usually face at most private criticsm and many of us can't even deal with that.Obama in his autobiography noted that one feature of political life is that the failures and successes are very, very public. I have no insider information but based on past experience, I am certain that Harper and his entourage are very much aware of the criticsm/sh*tstorm about the robocalls, unilingual nominations and God-knows-what-else. Rofl, this is a pathetic thread, Harper keeping his head? how do you know? He's rarely seen in public anymore.. when he is seen he's doing photo ops Harper has to go to Question Period almost everyday. US and French presidents/politicians can avoid such scrutiny for months if not years.I can see why you'd be so upset. After all, cool is how you describe Obama right? That's an interesting comparison. IMHO, successful politicians ignore the noise and concentrate on a few (one or two) basic goals. The best politicians know what the goal is before getting elected. Sometimes, the goal is merely to keep the ship of State above water.----- In the case of Harper (and in the logic of the OP), I happen to think that Harper is surrounded by Toronto English/Montreal French "noise". Meanwhile, there are many, many ordinary Canadians - English/French - who pay little attention to all the chatter. Harper should keep his head, not get distracted and look at the big picture. In 2015, when ordinary Canadians judge him, they will base their judgment on the big picture. Meanwhile, unless something goes awry, Tory support will hit a bedrock of about 30% or so and rise to 40% or more depending on chatter. Edited March 3, 2012 by August1991 Quote
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