I Await With Trepidation

Well Bloggers, this is the week that will resolve the first of the 2009 predictions and it’s obvious, I think, how it’s going to go. Once again Harper has shown his penchant for strategic manoeuvre by selectively leaking budget details. It’s not like this was never done before by governments of both stripes but, this leader takes things further and in this case, makes a farce of so-called budget secrecy. By having his ministers deliver selective goodies in his usual form of “slice and dice” politics he hopes that Canadians will get over the gut-wrenching news of deficits running at 32 billion per year and focus on the positive. His plan is to disarm the opposition before it can get its guns out and reinforce pubic opposition to the potential of a coalition taking power. With enough positive pre-spin he can kill any chance of seeing this budget defeated. We have been bombarded by expert opinion on options to address this crisis but there is consensus on only one central point: to do nothing is not an option. After digesting a mountain of opinions on this subject I have come to the conclusion that even large governments with tight control don’t have the where-withal to solve their own problems. And for smaller economies like ours there is no hope that we can control our own destiny. The experiences of the depression and FDR’s many attempts to address the issues of that era show that his government couldn't solve the problem; it could only help the people to muddle through until larger global developments brought relief. The ills of the depression were only finally resolved by the feverish activity precipitated by the Second World War. One hopes that that kind of solution is not in the cards for us this time around. And on the subject of helping the people, I will be very disappointed if reform of the EI system is not addressed in this budget. It is a disgrace in its current form, especially as it applies to Ontarians. That is the most concrete way that this government can help the most vulnerable of Canadians. Jillie and I were swept up in the euphoria of the Obama inauguration and I see him playing a significant role in any movement towards better times. Policies aside, It seems to me that having confidence in your leader is the most important factor in times of peril. We are sadly lacking in that department but at least can benefit from any positive change in the outlook for the US economy. AH