It doesn't say anything terribly surprising, but I think it misses a key point. Harper has done everything in his power to avoid being accountable to the Canadian public. Avoiding any media that might question his wisdom simply makes it easier for him to conduct his schemes without actually being held to account.
According to these insiders, Harper views the press gallery as a nest of liberals who are unwilling to give Conservatives a fair shake. But most of the Conservatives didn't see it that way at all. They acknowledged that at its core the press gallery is a liberal-leaning institution, but five of the seven Conservatives also reported that journalists for the most part do provide balanced coverage, even if the Prime Minister doesn't see it that way.
There's a clue here - Harper's acting in a manner that is rightly described as paranoid. Paranoia is an attribute we frequently see among the worst of leaders. If they are paranoid, then there is very little chance that they will be able to look at anything objectively. As a result their decisions will be colored by the taint of whatever is the subject of their paranoia. Harper's unceasing desire to engage in extreme partisan tactics is reflective of this, and I suspect that it is also reflected in the inability of the Harper government to find any form of meaningful compromise.
No comments:
Post a Comment