Today's poll question; does Canada's image on the world stage matter to you? Would you prefer a more isolationist approach to international politics, or do you prefer Canada to be involved in global initiatives? My own personal opinion is that Canada is one of the best countries in the world and I believe it benefits the global community for Canada to have a voice at the table. Obviously we should keep these marketing costs within reason, but we should also accept that the purpose is justified. Private business spends enormous amounts of money on promotions and brand marketing, and the reason that they do it is because it works. There will be a long term benefit to marketing Canada to the rest of the world, difficult to measure though it may be.
I know that Kevin Page already vetted the G8/G20 spending and concluded it was entirely within reason.
Adscam it is not, G8/G20 spending has been transparent.
ReplyDeleteMarketing Canada to the world YES. I don't think doing it through the Useless Notions is the way to do it. If the UN wants Canada's annual donations we should (as one of the founders) have a permanent position on the Security Council.If that can't happen then we should bow out along with our money and military support of anything UN.
ReplyDeleteRob C
For too long, Canadians have fretted about their international image as if we were some insecure zit-faced adolescent desperate to be popular.
ReplyDeleteHere's what the rest of the world thinks of Canada: Mostly they don't.
So let's quit worrying about our damn image, and concentrate on doing what's right. In the long run we'll likely be more popular for it anyway.
Does this mean we should limit our exports of Celine Dion or Pamela Anderson?
ReplyDeleteWe should be wary of the policy, financial sinkhole of the UN. The structure does not permit quick action. It will not stop massacres or genocide.
If we can help clean it up, ask for accountability of our money, their programs than it is a worthwhile effort.
For all the money it cost to buy support for a seat at the table ever ten years, it would have been much cheaper to have acquired nuclear weapons 60 years ago when we had the chance.
ReplyDeleteWhy stoop to self-promotion when you can get all the international attention you could wish for simply by running the country right. Chile, regardless of what you think of Pinochet's methods, caught and still holds the investment world's attention by being the most developer-friendly country on earth. The UN is a largely irrelevant dog-fight venue where the ignorant and impotent rulers of disfunctional states harrass successful states like Isreal whom they envy to the point of hatred. WSDAIBK (when somebody dies and I become king) I'll remove all the impediments to Canada becoming free, rich and powerful - the world will be impressed; civilized nations will cheer and the rest won't matter.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about Denamark? How about New Zealand? Good places right? Good enough anyway. Nice to visit and all that.
ReplyDeleteDoes their work at the UN mean anything at all to anyone? Nope. Nobody cares.
I'd like to see what doors a seat at the security council would open. If Portugal beats us out (all respect to the people of Portugal. I am of Portuguese descent) then I think perhaps what everyone says about the UN might be true.
I'm open minded though. I'm willing to see how great a security council seat is after all.