Is it possible that I am one of the few people on this continent who can’t get overly excited about political hacking from the U.S.S.R.? Certainly the North American press and Washington politicians are all agog and the CIA is ecstatic on realizing that they may remain relevant despite incoming President Trump’s disdain.
One is very tempted to rehash the events of 2016. It was an extraordinary year for news of the world. With the possible exception of President Vladimir Putin, professional politicians of all stripes got a real spanking from their electorates in just about every country of global interest. Even China is wobbling.
The only light that seems to be blinking on and off in the tunnel of political myopia seems to be Britain which may have found a way out of Brexit. If, in fact, parliament becomes the final authority for approving the terms of Britain leaving the European Union, the real possibility exists that no plan will succeed in obtaining the necessary votes and the whole matter will fade away. The only scapegoat then will be former prime minister David Cameron whose timing in calling the intended non-binding referendum in the first place was comically inept.
One must be somewhat concerned about next year of course. President Trump will dominate the world’s political agenda. U.S. global affairs will turn toward business and trade – away from militarism and diplomacy (i.e. spying and political destabilization of other governments). He will make a deal with Putin, which will support Russia’s continued access to the Mediterranean Sea by accepting a permanent Russian naval facility fleet in Tartus, Syria. (Something that Obama refused to acknowledge when he tried, with remarkable incompetence, to get rid of President Assad). Once Putin has solidified Russian predominance in Syria, Assad will be replaced by a Russia-backed military dictatorship. Iraq will meanwhile settle down with more U.S. involvement. Afghanistan will continue to fester and Pakistan will implode. Israel will overplay its hand and continue to lose U.S. support. China will spank North Korea and take over the Pacific Rim.
Where this leaves Canada is dependent on our current federal government’s bureaucracy and ministers. International trade and commerce is not our prime minister’s strong suit. Were it so, Ontario and Quebec governments would be getting much more federal scrutiny and pressure on its commercial survival than at present. Certainly Ontario’s provincial government has thrown in the towel on saving its industrial sector. One need look no further than the Ontario Liberal party’s handling of Ontario Hydro and its extraordinarily expensive and ineffective ways of delivering so-called alternative energy to recognize how terribly wrong Ontario has been in managing its economic infrastructure. Canada’s economic survival over the next few years will still be dependent on our ability to sell our natural resource products. Alberta can probably survive so long as our government does not mimic Ontario’s lead no matter how ideologically attractive it is.
In the meanwhile we will watch with some interest, President Trump’s way of getting his message out by using Twitter rather than press conferences. Former President Obama will continue to focus on becoming immortal by giving daily news conferences as he remains in Washington. In the end however President Trump will emerge the clear winner as the most successful and important Twit of 2017.
Alan Murdock is a local pediatrician.
