Ken Dryden on Canada

[August1991]

Paul Wells posted this message from Ken Dryden:

It's just a few days before the election. I'm anxious; on edge. Polls aren't votes. On Monday, we can all still vote any way we want, but somehow it doesn't seem that way. For days, I've been trying to think of what else to say, how else to put it, to all those people who I know still don't feel all that comfortable themselves.

....

Why is it time for a change? All the noise and nastiness, charge and countercharge, in this 20-month campaign, it can seem as if everything is wrong. Everything is bad. It isn't. Our employment growth, our increase in living standards, our productivity growth - all at or near the top of the G7. Our unemployment the lowest it's been in 30 years.

This isn't opinion. This just is. Two years of a good economy and it seems like a blessing. Eight, and it's inevitability. It's not.

....

I don't think Mr. Harper thinks in terms of "great national endeavours." I don't think that's part of his understanding of Canada. I don't think that's what's in his bones.

....

What if, 100 years ago, government put $50 in every family's pocket and told us to build a school system - if that's where we'd like to put our money. What if, 40 years ago - here's $100 for a health care system, if that's where you want to spend it. Where would we be today? Just because our schools and health care aren't all we'd like them to be - imagine where we'd be without them.

Well, Mr. Dryden, the best schools were built by local communities, and the worst were built by the federal government.

Mr. Dryden, you make it sound as if the Canadian economy performs well because of the federal government. Rather, it performs well when the federal government deliberately removes itself from the economy as the Bank of Canada has done over the past 20 years or so, and as Free Trade has limited the ability of the fderal government to maneuver.

And maybe Mr. Harper doesn't have grand Liberal schemes in mind, but he has an even greater scheme of letting Canadians decide the future of Canada on their own.

We can argue about what the economic stats mean, whether Canadians are better off now than fifteen years ago, and whether it really is time for a change. But the real question here is: What is Canada?

Is Canada the federal government? Or is Canada all the people who live here and the various things they do everyday?

I don't want to be nationalistic but I don't think any Russian or American would confuse Russia and the Russian State, or America and the American government. Russian history, language and culture have a depth well beyond any particular regime in place. America is striking because the US federal government plays such a small role in what makes America what it is.

Canada's future, and the answer to what Canada is, will not be found in policies of the federal government.

----

Now to Maxime Bernier:

"The 20th century was the century of the state and the 21st century has to be the century of the individual."

National Post

[Cameron]

August, that is a beautiful piece of writing. I'd vote for you.

[Bakunin]

I like bernier, i hope he will get an economic minister.

[geoffrey]

I like bernier, i hope he will get an economic minister.

My predictions have him at Industry Minister.

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4971

[shoop]

Ken Dryden could make a play for the top job. He might just be successful at it too.

A lot depends though. If neither the Martinites nor the Chretienites agree internally on a candidate he will be OK. If either camp picks a *consensus* candidate, the other camp will pick one out of spite. Same old battle fought again. Nay to the rebuilding process.

[tml12]

Ken Dryden could make a play for the top job. He might just be successful at it too.

A lot depends though. If neither the Martinites nor the Chretienites agree internally on a candidate he will be OK. If either camp picks a *consensus* candidate, the other camp will pick one out of spite. Same old battle fought again. Nay to the rebuilding process.

Nah...the way Theodore is playing? I play it safe and put Dryden in goal...

[speaker]

I don't want to be nationalistic but I don't think any Russian or American would confuse Russia and the Russian State, or America and the American government. Russian history, language and culture have a depth well beyond any particular regime in place. America is striking because the US federal government plays such a small role in what makes America what it is.

Canada's future, and the answer to what Canada is, will not be found in policies of the federal government.

I can't figure out where you get this stuff August How do you figure the American Government plays such a small role in what makes America what it is. Maybe the best way to give me an understanding would be to tell me what you think America is.

[Wilber]

In real democracies governments come and go according to the will of the people, not the other way around. Eventually this is true even in totalitarian states. August is right, a country is not its government.

[Hicksey]

In real democracies governments come and go according to the will of the people, not the other way around. Eventually this is true even in totalitarian states. August is right, a country is not its government.

That's right. More government is the problem, not the solution.

[Black Dog]

America is striking because the US federal government plays such a small role in what makes America what it is.

That explains why the President is such a minor figure there.

I don't think Dryden is saying Canada=the government. Just that part of what makes Canada what it is is the role government plays in our society. It's a platitude, as is the trite rebuttal about "letting Canadians decide their future for themselves."

[fellowtraveller]

That explains why the President is such a minor figure there

The President has considerably less power than the Prime Minister in Canada.

[August1991]

That explains why the President is such a minor figure there.

Because of the powers the US Constitution grants to the Executive as Commander-in-chief, the US president looms much larger abroad than in the US. In the ordinary lives of Americans, the president is not that important.

More broadly, I was thinking about how the US cultural world, and business world, to pick two examples, exist largely outside the sphere of the US federal government. Oscars, Golden Globes, Pulitzer Prizes, NYSE, commercial law are entirely private. The same principle exists in Russia, although its application is different.

I don't think Dryden is saying Canada=the government. Just that part of what makes Canada what it is is the role government plays in our society. It's a platitude, as is the trite rebuttal about "letting Canadians decide their future for themselves."

It is not a trite platitude.

The Liberal Party/CBC/Trudeau view presents a Canada wholely dependent on a federal government as a unifying force. Truth be told, Canada existed before Confederation, and certainly before the CBC or state health care.

BD, in case you didn't notice, the past election was partly about these "trite platitudes".

I won't go as far as Hugo in saying that anything the government touches eventually turns into a mess, but I feel that "Canada" has found itself increasingly empty of meaning since too many Canadians decided to let the federal government promote its definition.

[Hicksey]

That explains why the President is such a minor figure there

The President has considerably less power than the Prime Minister in Canada.

Especially when he refuses to use his veto powers.

[Black Dog]

ecause of the powers the US Constitution grants to the Executive as Co0mmander-in-chief, the US president looms much larger abroad than in the US. In the ordinary lives of Americans, the president is not that important.

Interesting example: under the Constiution, the President is Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. I'm willing to bet most Americans assume he is CiC of the frigging country.

More broadly, I was thinking about how the US cultural world, and business world, to pick two examples, exist largely outside the sphere of the US federal government. Oscars, Golden Globes, Pulitzer Prizes, NYSE, commercial law are entirely private. The same principle exists in Russia, although its application is different.

Canada doesn't have a cultural sphere? A music scene? A hockey league, for chrissakes?

The Liberal Party/CBC/Trudeau view presents a Canada wholely dependent on a federal government as a unifying force. Truth be told, Canada existed before Confederation, and certainly before the CBC or state health care.

Duh. I don't think you'd find many ouitside of the Liberal true believers who'd espouse that view. yet you seem quite comfortable laying it at all Canadian's doorstep. Put simply, if the idea exists, it doesn't have much traction: otherwise, we'd probably be looking at a Liberal majority government right now.

[Hicksey]

The Liberals and NDP both expressed their idea of what they referred to as an 'activist goverment' during the election cycle.

They think that more government intrusion and intervention is the answer. As a conservative I think that's the problem. 9 times out of 10 the private sector can serve us better than the government can.

[tml12]

The Liberals and NDP both expressed their idea of what they referred to as an 'activist goverment' during the election cycle.

They think that more government intrusion and intervention is the answer. As a conservative I think that's the problem. 9 times out of 10 the private sector can serve us better than the government can.

You go to the States a lot Hicksey...look at how much more selection they have down there.

Better liquor selection with private liquor stores.

Better tobacco selection with more brands.

And then go in a food store, the difference in available items is unbelievable.

Then try going to a mall...

Our government likes to ensure we only buy from Canada so they can subsidize and Canadianize everything...I say...enough is enough!!!

[Hicksey]

The Liberals and NDP both expressed their idea of what they referred to as an 'activist goverment' during the election cycle.

They think that more government intrusion and intervention is the answer. As a conservative I think that's the problem. 9 times out of 10 the private sector can serve us better than the government can.

You go to the States a lot Hicksey...look at how much more selection they have down there.

Better liquor selection with private liquor stores.

Better tobacco selection with more brands.

And then go in a food store, the difference in available items is unbelievable.

Then try going to a mall...

Our government likes to ensure we only buy from Canada so they can subsidize and Canadianize everything...I say...enough is enough!!!

I hear what you're saying. I see so many things that I've always said would be a great idea just sitting on the shelf as they always had down there.

I have no problem with Canadianizing. But I do have a problem with them shielding us from the innovation of others. They do have a bigger market, but I just don't see why it is we can't enjoy these same things.

[tml12]

The Liberals and NDP both expressed their idea of what they referred to as an 'activist goverment' during the election cycle.

They think that more government intrusion and intervention is the answer. As a conservative I think that's the problem. 9 times out of 10 the private sector can serve us better than the government can.

You go to the States a lot Hicksey...look at how much more selection they have down there.

Better liquor selection with private liquor stores.

Better tobacco selection with more brands.

And then go in a food store, the difference in available items is unbelievable.

Then try going to a mall...

Our government likes to ensure we only buy from Canada so they can subsidize and Canadianize everything...I say...enough is enough!!!

I hear what you're saying. I see so many things that I've always said would be a great idea just sitting on the shelf as they always had down there.

I have no problem with Canadianizing. But I do have a problem with them shielding us from the innovation of others. They do have a bigger market, but I just don't see why it is we can't enjoy these same things.

Maybe I am overtly biased because I think the selection in the West, while not as good as the States, is better than here because some companies don't make things bilingual (not that they'd need to west of Sault-Ste-Marie) there.