Note: http://www.canada.com/n...
McKenna Calls United States Government Dysfunctional
Posted on Saturday, October 01 at 12:32 by nancymarie
"But it was anticipated that it would be established as a country in which there would be a check and balance on the exercise of power. And I can tell you categorically that what has been institutionalized instead is total gridlock. The government of the United States is, in large measure, dysfunctional."
He said one senator there has 75 staff members, which shows that U.S. policymaking is "so complex that even people who work within government need help to navigate through it."
David Wilkins, the American envoy to Canada, appeared to take his counterpart's speech to a joint meeting of the Empire Club of Canada and the Canadian Club of Toronto in stride.
Following the address, Mr. Wilkins told reporters that Mr. McKenna is "a great orator and he's a good friend and he gave a pretty compelling speech about the attributes of Canada."
Mr. Wilkins said he has been warmly received in Canada, adding: "The United States is a beacon of light for so many people throughout the world. I could not be prouder of my country and I, quite frankly, did not take personally the remarks of Mr. McKenna in any way, period."
However, at the outset of yesterday's address, he said: "I am so tired of talking about softwood lumber. I just want a break for one day."
http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=22401388-5c1c-4bbd-99da-f8cfdfd45ac5
Note: http://www.canada.com/n...
Note: http://www.canada.com/n...
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Ha!
He's just lost all credibility.
Adscam? Connections with UN corruption? Gun registry? FREE health care?
Canada is f*cked UP!
However, the favorite pastime of bashing Americans takes canadians' feeble minds off their own problems.
Lets see, murder rate.... rampant gun use... people unable to get health care... rampant poverty.... Oh... that's right, that is the US.
However, the point of the american above is well made, pointing fingers at americans are a favourite pastime. The most notable reason is of course that WE have no political power. In the states there are all sorts of venues in most places where we'd be involved-citizen's initiatives, local ballots, politician recalls, etc. In absence of any democratic tools canadians are armchair editors, griping at everything with no way to effect anything (politically that is). Notice that McKenna's comments are made in Canada, NOT in the US, certainly not when he was on Fox.
This is because there are increasing pressures by organizations to get political change and power, so the effort is on to make our government look wonderful. Who gives a rat's ass if investors are happy because we don't run a deficit, particularly when our health care system is crumbling and the gap between rich and poor (both regions and individuals) is accelerating.
However, as noted, Prince Edward Island is voting on proportional representation in november, NB had a committee that recommended it, but government is doing a good job ignoring it. Meanwhile, Ontario and Quebec are also looking at it while in BC its hard to ignore that the vast majority WANT PR. Even that's pretty mild, but canadians are increasingly getting perturbed about their government, so the effort to propagandize our system vs. that 'dysfunctional' democracy down south is always under way-that's why the american ambassador took it in stride, he knows how politics is done. The propaganda point is that you have to keep canadians from wanting democracy at all costs.
Keep in mind also that our government certainly contains 'gridlock', although I'm not sure what that means. In the US the Republicans hold the house, senate, judiciary so I don't see too much gridlock going on. Meanwhile, population wise, if you multiplied our political problems by ten, which would account for the population disparity, I think you'd find a FAR more dysfunctional system.