Stephen Harper is no Barack Obama

Our prime minister's Afghanistan policy is pretty close to the Democrat's Iraq one. The pity is that Mr Harper disagrees with the Democrat's presidential candidate over Afghanistan. As Norman Spector puts it:

...Stephen Harper had this to say [in the leaders' English television debate Oct. 2] about Afghanistan:

"If we don't set end dates and we don't have targets the mission will go on forever . . . [and] we will end up being responsible for the ongoing management of Afghan security."

Which is precisely Barack Obama's--not George Bush's--position on Iraq.

The debate could get complicated however.

Mr. Obama says that Afghanistan is the right place to fight the "war on terror" _ which puts him to the right of Gilles Duceppe and Jack Layton, who lays claim to the Obama mantle in Canada.

Come to think of it, on Afghanistan, Mr. Obama is now also to the right of the new, cuddly Stephen Harper, who is being routinely equated to George Bush these days [do read that immediately preceding link].

Mr Harper has clearly concluded that Canadians, unlike Americans (or Brits), are au fond a petty people. And is willing to accept that. I think we're now just about Belgians.

Mark C.

Posted by markc at October 6, 2008 09:15 PM