Far too Canadian

One of my favourite songs has always been Spirit of the West‘s “Far too Canadian.” Given the interesting political events in Canada over the last week, it seems more appropriate than ever, so I’ve interspersed this post with selected lyrics from this fine work.

Apparently, despite the fact that Prime Minister Steven Harper hijacked the country’s political agenda for his own selfish pleasure – in the middle of an economic crisis no less – more than half of Canadians still feel he should be trusted to govern. Remarkably, fully 44% of Canadians would rather have seen Parliament shut down, as opposed to the quarter of Canadians who supported a coalition. So, if I am to understand this, almost half of Canadians would rather their country NOT be governed, than to run the risk of having a unique form of government?

I really don’t know what to say to that.

I am the face of my country
expressionless and small
Weak at the knees, shaking badly
Can’t straighten up at all
I watch the spine of my country bend and break
I’m in a sorry state

Fifty-seven percent of Canadians agreed that Stephan Dion cannot be trusted to govern the country because he made a deal with the Bloc not to defeat the government on confidence motions for 18 months!! Wow, talk about selling out to Quebec. I certainly wouldn’t want support for my motions from them. Of course we probably have the media to blame for that because the arrangement was always just called a “deal,” and the actually conditions of the deal weren’t often emphasized.

Let’s see what other gems there are…

Oh, right, this is the best part:

Over all, the Conservative Party remains at the top of the standings with 45-per-cent support if an election were held today. The Liberals come far behind in second place at 24 per cent, with the NDP at 14 per cent.

Ok, here’s how I interpret this: Canadians are very worried about the economy so, naturally, they would support the party that acknowledges the crisis, makes dealing with it a priority at the first opportunity and puts aside partisan games at this important time in Canadian history. So naturally…well, ok. Ya, totally, support the party that denied the crisis existed, ignored it in their fiscal update and took advantage of political circumstances to give our Parliamentary system the finger. Good judgement, Canada. You and Mr. Harper will get along just fine.

I kiss the hand that slaps me senseless
I’m so accepting, I am so defenseless

And I’m thinking back to our election, a mere 53 days ago, and all the griping and moaning about how boring Canadian politics was, and how it would be so nice if we could just make it exciting like the Americans do, that would could have options for real change on the table.

Tada!

Oh, wait? That whole coalition thing wasn’t good enough for you, eh? Kinda scared are you? Miss the good old days of boring Canadian politics? Ya, go figure…

I pick the bones of what’s been done
And I’ll lick them clean with a cautious tongue
In dim lit rooms, I spill my guts
I’m the revolution when the doors are shut
I’d bite the hand that slaps me senseless
But my patience it is too relentless

And yes, I know: It’s easy to type this stuff. While I am not as inert as the average Canadian, I’m not kicking up nearly enough of a storm. I’ll admit it. It’s true.

I am the face of my country
expressionless and small
Weak at the knees, shaking badly
Can’t straighten up at all
I watch the spine of my country bend and break
I’m in a sorry state
I am a sorry state
Won’t you welcome to the sorry state.