The Trudeau camp doesn't like this, but it rings true.
Justin Trudeau’s true brilliance – and I say this with admiration and respect – is his gift for branding. The Prime Minister is determined to rebrand Canada as an attractive, youthful, progressive, postnational country, with himself as its attractive, youthful face. That’s why he’s everywhere, from the Pride Parade to Kiev.
Naturally, he has rebranded our foreign policy, too. Mr. Trudeau is confident that we can align our interests with our ideals with little, if, any compromise. Belligerence is out. Bridge-building is in. NATO is out. Peacekeeping is in. No longer will we bomb people. We’ll help them. Multilateralism and the United Nations have made a comeback.
We believe in fighting climate change, talking to Russia and Iran, making nice with China and finding smarter ways to combat the Islamic State that don’t involve killing people, God forbid. We’ve even renamed Foreign Affairs to Global Affairs, because it’s all one world, and why should we otherize the foreigners?
Unfortunately, the world is not co-operating. The post-Cold War narrative of progress, democratization and ever more open borders has collapsed. China is rattling its sabres, the Russian bear is growling and the Middle East has descended into what promises to be a generation of chaos.
mo
Justin’s dilemma: soft power, hard world - The Globe and Mail
Justin Trudeau’s true brilliance – and I say this with admiration and respect – is his gift for branding. The Prime Minister is determined to rebrand Canada as an attractive, youthful, progressive, postnational country, with himself as its attractive, youthful face. That’s why he’s everywhere, from the Pride Parade to Kiev.
Naturally, he has rebranded our foreign policy, too. Mr. Trudeau is confident that we can align our interests with our ideals with little, if, any compromise. Belligerence is out. Bridge-building is in. NATO is out. Peacekeeping is in. No longer will we bomb people. We’ll help them. Multilateralism and the United Nations have made a comeback.
We believe in fighting climate change, talking to Russia and Iran, making nice with China and finding smarter ways to combat the Islamic State that don’t involve killing people, God forbid. We’ve even renamed Foreign Affairs to Global Affairs, because it’s all one world, and why should we otherize the foreigners?
Unfortunately, the world is not co-operating. The post-Cold War narrative of progress, democratization and ever more open borders has collapsed. China is rattling its sabres, the Russian bear is growling and the Middle East has descended into what promises to be a generation of chaos.
mo
Justin’s dilemma: soft power, hard world - The Globe and Mail
