Watching a video of a news conference held by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President Obama last December, I was struck by Harper's body language.
It is always dangerous to generalize about a country from the behaviour of its leader and Harper is not a particularly cuddly politician at the best of times. Especially in contrast to Obama, philosopher-king, speaking gravely of the great global issues of war and peace, then shifting effortlessly with a twitch of his lip and a twinkle of his eye into sheer mischievous charm, poking fun at all the pomp and ceremony of high office and diplomatic formality while continuing to intone the standard assurances of guarded cordiality.
Yet I think it is true to say that Canada is a country of diplomats - outsiders with good manners, polite, reticent and detached, wary of the powerful oblivious self-absorbed big neighbour, always strategizing and wondering how best to negotiate an uncertain future. In this country, even right-wing politicians are forced to speak both official languages and appear to delight in the festivities of minorities. Digging pay dirt out of a vast capricious wilderness, Canadians seem surprised to survive, not entirely sure how come they thrive.
It is always dangerous to generalize about a country from the behaviour of its leader and Harper is not a particularly cuddly politician at the best of times. Especially in contrast to Obama, philosopher-king, speaking gravely of the great global issues of war and peace, then shifting effortlessly with a twitch of his lip and a twinkle of his eye into sheer mischievous charm, poking fun at all the pomp and ceremony of high office and diplomatic formality while continuing to intone the standard assurances of guarded cordiality.
Yet I think it is true to say that Canada is a country of diplomats - outsiders with good manners, polite, reticent and detached, wary of the powerful oblivious self-absorbed big neighbour, always strategizing and wondering how best to negotiate an uncertain future. In this country, even right-wing politicians are forced to speak both official languages and appear to delight in the festivities of minorities. Digging pay dirt out of a vast capricious wilderness, Canadians seem surprised to survive, not entirely sure how come they thrive.
