Stephane Dion; Speak Softly, know your History

Photos

Stephane Dion; Speak Softly, know your History

see larger image

uploaded by Barry Artiste

Opinion

Barry Artiste, Now public Contributor

As many in the media think of Stephane Dion as a wishy washy intellectual, a background investigation is showing Mr. Dion, Political scientist  and Federal Liberal Leader may be the final nail in Quebec Separatists coffin.  This may go a long way in determining who will get the most Quebec votes in the next Federal Election.

My Final Thought.

Good intentions, Intelligence and public speaking in a Leader goes a long way in getting voters to the polls. When your MP's, Yes Men and Handlers are not your intellectual equals and share your vision for a Country and it's peoples, it matters not your intentions, when History for the most part shows most are in Politics, not for the people, but for themselves and what Canada and the Government can do for them and their friends financially.    Right Wing, Left Wing are all on the same bird of prey and it won't change anytime soon.  The photo above says it all, Guilt by Association. 

url="http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Goldstein_Lorrie/2007/08/05/4395334-sun.html"]Dion is, like Harper, scary smart.

His speeches, letters and essays -- most given when he first entered Jean Chretien's cabinet on the advice of Chretien's wife, Aline -- literally demolish the separatists' arguments.

No wonder they hate him. He's smarter than they are.

Dion takes apart every myth they've ever propagated -- that Canada will have no choice but to accept a unilateral declaration of Quebec's independence following a referendum victory, that Quebec's borders are indivisible, that the international community will rush to recognize a self-proclaimed Quebec nation.

SEPARATISTS

Citing legal, constitutional and historical precedents, Dion almost mocks the separatists at times, challenging them to produce one argument that isn't naive, wrong or self-defeating.

Which brings us to Dion's role in the Clarity Act, fathered by Chretien, Dion, Harper and Preston Manning -- talk about strange bedfellows -- and in putting specific questions to the Supreme Court about Quebec's right to secede. Dion won a ruling from the top court that Canada cannot be compelled to negotiate separation unless Quebecers give a clear answer (well over 50%) to a clear referendum question, a much higher bar than the separatists have ever faced.

Of course it's not all brilliant. Dion proves even a smart political science professor can sometimes be brain-dead.

In a 1998 speech at Queen's University, for example, Dion observes: "It's all very well for the federal government to negotiate wonderful international agreements on the environment, but they'll get absolutely nowhere without the provinces' co-operation."

Exactly! So perhaps Dion could explain when, exactly, his party is going to figure that out with regard to the Kyoto accord and Alberta?

Similarly, in an 1997 letter to Bernard Landry, Dion chastises the Parti Quebecois for "your government's regrettable attitude of seeking to discredit your critics so as to avoid a debate of substance" on separation.

Right. And how would that be different from Dion's approach to debating global warming?

The most revealing anecdote, however, is in Diebel's book -- an interview with Stephane Dion's mother, Denyse, recalling the 1997 death of Stephane's father, Leon, a decade later.

Leon Dion, a respected political scientist in Quebec, died in a horrible drowning accident at home.

Recalling the tragedy, Denyse Dion describes with contempt articles in the media and separatist talk hinting her husband's death was the result of his shame and disappointment over his son becoming the chief Liberal federalist spokesman in Quebec. "There were people who said he drowned himself because his son went into politics," Denyse angrily notes, calling them "idiots."

MOST HATED MAN

Think about that. At that time Stephane Dion -- who had followed his father's footsteps into academia -- was a political neophyte, whom the separatists were calling the most hated man in Quebec.

He was being depicted as a rat. Then his father, whom he clearly loved, dies in a terrible accident and his critics imply his father committed suicide because of him?

Never mind that Leon Dion wasn't a separatist and was proud of his son. What a cheap shot.

Even a strong person might understandably have said, "who needs this?" and retreated from politics.

Dion stayed. And fought.

To any Conservative (or Liberal) who thinks this guy isn't tough enough to be prime minister, maybe you'd better think again.[/q]