From The Department of Warm & Fuzzy Things

Stephane Dion was up north this week-end doing the Arctic Sovereignty campaign gig and came out with the idea of aggressive diplomacy that would “make the world want Canada to look after the north” in contrast with Stephen Harper’s defend Arctic Sovereignty with the military – it’s an idea that has merit until you think of the big name players that Dion talked about, America & Russia….. neither of which really give a rats a** what the rest of the world thinks or wants.

Dion is right about the military aspect of this, Harper’s posturing around the military and Arctic Sovereignty is laughable. Even if he does build his Arctic patrol vessels, or his ice breakers, just what, as Prime Minister of Canada, is Stephen Harper going to do if either the United States or Russia decides to send something through the passage?

Answer: nothing significant or concrete.

It would certainly give Canadians a nice warm and fuzzy feeling to think that the rest of the world would want us to look after the top of the continent, and because of that it’s certainly good campaign rhetoric – that aside, Dion has some serious challenges to overcome if he thinks that either the United States or Russia actually cares overly much just what the world wants done, or thinks about their actions – if you doubt that look at Iraq and Georgia.