Thank you Stephen Harper
- Thread starter Locutus
- Start date
If I didn't want to know, I wouldn't have asked.
Pretty simple to understand I would think.
And yes, I don't know. I truly have no idea why anybody would think this would be a proud moment for being Canadian vs. Harper just pulling a political stunt simply because Election Time is coming up.
A political stunt that accomplished nothing nor did it phase Putin.
But I guess some people will take "Victories" in any form they can get, even when they weren't a victory in the first place.
Well of course... he has to try and "Look" professional as a mod in here.
Doesn't do a very good job though.
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Having a title like "Moderator" doesn't automatically make someone good with debating, nor does it automatically make them mature.
^ That's not directed at Locutus of course, but just a general statement (ie: "Someone")
However, if the shoe fits....
I still remember at another G20 summit when Harper said 'Canada has history of colonislism' not even a year after having apologized to the survivors of the residential school system.
Mayby he should try that line again. It went over well last time.
Mayby he should try that line again. It went over well last time.
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I sure hear a lot of whining about Moderation. I guess when the race card don't work then fall back on moderation not shutting down the argument.
Sorry for the typos above. He said 'Canada has no history of colonialism'. His knowledge of history aside, I wouldn't want to falsely accuse Harper of sloppy language.
And to be fair, maybe the jetlad clouded his thinking.
I don't know if you were addressing me. If so, my point was simply that we ought to be as critical of our actions as those others. On-reserve schools continue to be underfunded and we have yet to fully implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada among other human rights violations. It's difficult to take someone seriously when he criticizes other countries while turning a blind eye to his own. However correct his criticism may be, it's undermined by what's happening in our own backyard.
And to be fair, maybe the jetlad clouded his thinking.
I don't know if you were addressing me. If so, my point was simply that we ought to be as critical of our actions as those others. On-reserve schools continue to be underfunded and we have yet to fully implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada among other human rights violations. It's difficult to take someone seriously when he criticizes other countries while turning a blind eye to his own. However correct his criticism may be, it's undermined by what's happening in our own backyard.
Sending an e-mail to the UK after the Hood was sunk with one shell would have seemed like the free from colonialism type of move, we went the motherland is always the motherland route back then and do it even faster today. Did anybody ever explain to Harperr that being a piece of the pie means you don't get bigger if the pie gets bigger.
You have a headline ready for that pop out of a cake one? Why do I get the feeling that guy's name is David
Harper stood up and spoke his mind in an a-political fashion. Like Petros stated, he did what the EU (and apparently, Australia) couldn't do.
Honestly, outside of econ sanctions (as are happening now), did you expect him to start a fist fight or something?
Harper in a fist fight? Hardly.
What "He Did" wasn't really anything as there was no "Or Else" or ".... Consequences" etc.
The EU and Australia didn't need to try and make a stunt like Harper did. They've done sanctions against Russia just as Canada did. Their positions on Ukraine are obvious and have already been stated, just as Canada's is already stated.
The only real thing Australia has an issue over Ukraine is the shooting down of the airliner that had a number of Australians on board. Although I am not fond of Abbott, his view during the G20 has remained the same and that he wanted to remain on-topic and focused towards the things that should be discussed during the G20, rather than use it as some political wrestling match to get brownie points from voters by tossing out pointless one liners at one another.
They couldn't and their sanctions are a joke. Check out what is and isn't flowing.
Disputed? It was there before Russia.
... And yet he still did more than any other leader... Says quite a bit about your high expectations of Harper and 'flexible' expectations of the rest of the world
And?... Canada has done the same on top of standing tall
Kind of a lame comment, don't you think?.... Just killing a bunch of Australian citizens?
I'm curious, will it take a full-on occupation of Sydney for you to believe that Australia's leader should speak-out?
Sounds much like the logic that Chamberlain used to deal with Hitler when he annexed Poland... Back then, they called it a policy of appeasement
Thank you Stephen Harper!
Global economy to suffer as Putin quits G20 early
Dispute between the West and Russia will act as a significant drag on growth for years
David Cameron may have hailed the G20 meetings in Brisbane over the weekend as a success for the global economy. But in reality, the gathering of the world’s most powerful leaders will be remembered only for the abrupt departure of President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian leader had probably already decided before even arriving in Australia to take an early flight home and dispense with the pleasantries of the end-of-summit dinner. Mr Cameron’s warning that the Kremlin was at a “crossroads” with the West over its alleged intervention in Ukraine, along with Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper’s blunt message for Russia to get out of its neighbouring former client state, will more than likely have stiffened Mr Putin’s resolve to not back down an inch.
In fact, his glib response to these threats and warnings was to complain about a lack of sleep, suggesting that he is preparing to dig in over his support for pro-Russian separatists around Donetsk.
Certainly, if the objective is to make Mr Putin appear isolated on the world stage in order to make him less popular at home, it isn’t working and also shows a profound misunderstanding of the Russian mind-set. A nation that endured the bloodbath of Stalingrad and almost half a century of economic isolation following the end of the Second World War is unlikely to blink first in its current standoff with the West. Indeed, Mr Putin’s popularity ratings at home have never been higher.
The danger for the global economy is that the dispute between the West and Russia, which is now being widely described as a new Cold War, will act as a significant drag on growth for years to come. It is certainly unlikely that the measures agreed on by the G20 to boost global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2pc, or £1.25 trillion, by 2018 will be achievable for as long as a country the size of Russia - the world’s eighth largest economy - is kept out in the cold.
Although a cocktail of economic sanctions and falling oil prices has already started to squeeze Russia’s economy hard, the West has also increasingly started to feel the pain of isolating Moscow. The brunt of a prolonged economic war with Russia is being felt by Europe and the UK, not the US. European trade with Russia has almost quadrupled over the past decade to around $335bn and many companies now view the country as one of their fastest growing and most important export markets. Exports to Russia are thought to have accounted for 0.6pc of Europe’s GDP before the current round of sanctions was imposed.
Europe finds itself at the centre of a bitter dispute with Russia at a time when its own economic edifice begins to crumble. Deflation and stagnated growth make European countries, excluding Britain and Germany, stand out as the real sick men of the G20. Arguably, Europe needs Russian petro-dollars more the Russia needs the dysfunctional economic bloc of 27 nations who themselves are squabbling over whether to stay together.
At a time when most European countries should really be focusing on cutting budget deficits and trimming state spending, the threat of Russia means that outlays on defence have to be maintained and in some cases increased. Without the support of the US, Europe’s underfunded and outgunned armed forces are no match for Russia, even if its military machine is a shadow of the jackbooted horde seen parading on Red Square during the Communist era.
Trade sanctions and restrictions on individuals and financial transactions, the main targets of current sanctions, have had only a limited impact on Russia so far. Latest figures show that the Russian economy has grown by 0.7pc in the third quarter year-on-year ahead of the Bank of Russia’s forecast for 0.3pc overall growth. Most of the impact to the economy and the slump in the rouble has been the product of falling oil prices.
Indeed, the West’s most powerful economic weapon to force Mr Putin to the table is largely out of its own control. The curious inaction of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) to not cut production to stem a 28pc slide in oil prices since June will arguably have done more to spook Mr Putin than any other form of reprimand doled out by G20 leaders Down Under. Russia depends on oil and gas receipts for 45pc of its budget revenues and cannot sustain prices below $100 per barrel for long.
Even so, Mr Putin said during the G20 that his country was even prepared to sustain a “catastrophic” fall in the price of crude. His remarks may also explain why Russia has been stockpiling gold in the vaults of its central bank this year, accumulating an estimated 1,150 tonnes of the precious metal. However, even if Saudi Arabia – the only member of the G20 to also be part of Opec – were supporting a general strategy to apply economic pressure on Russia by artificially reducing the price of oil, it would be difficult to maintain this strategy for long.
Given these uncertainties, I doubt Mr Putin will have lost too much sleep over his public defenestration at the G20 on his flight home.
The end of Opec
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud was seen locked in conversation with Vladimir Putin during the G20. It is thought that both countries support the establishment of a new global energy body that would sit above both Opec and the International Energy Agency.
A report in the Australian press suggested the new body could be set up as part of a wider overhaul of global energy markets to ensure reliable supplies of oil and gas and also more transparency on prices.
For such an organisation to work, it would have to include the power to regulate physical supply of crude oil and natural gas to world markets. At present, only Opec as a collective group wields such power and all of its 12 members may be reluctant to give up their biggest bargaining chip.
However, if the G20 were to form a new overarching energy body, it could help to bridge the interests of Opec’s petrodollar states and the next generation of major producers such as the US who would like to strike a balance between lower average prices and security of supply.
Global economy to suffer as Putin quits G20 early - Telegraph
Global economy to suffer as Putin quits G20 early
Dispute between the West and Russia will act as a significant drag on growth for years
David Cameron may have hailed the G20 meetings in Brisbane over the weekend as a success for the global economy. But in reality, the gathering of the world’s most powerful leaders will be remembered only for the abrupt departure of President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian leader had probably already decided before even arriving in Australia to take an early flight home and dispense with the pleasantries of the end-of-summit dinner. Mr Cameron’s warning that the Kremlin was at a “crossroads” with the West over its alleged intervention in Ukraine, along with Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper’s blunt message for Russia to get out of its neighbouring former client state, will more than likely have stiffened Mr Putin’s resolve to not back down an inch.
In fact, his glib response to these threats and warnings was to complain about a lack of sleep, suggesting that he is preparing to dig in over his support for pro-Russian separatists around Donetsk.
Certainly, if the objective is to make Mr Putin appear isolated on the world stage in order to make him less popular at home, it isn’t working and also shows a profound misunderstanding of the Russian mind-set. A nation that endured the bloodbath of Stalingrad and almost half a century of economic isolation following the end of the Second World War is unlikely to blink first in its current standoff with the West. Indeed, Mr Putin’s popularity ratings at home have never been higher.
The danger for the global economy is that the dispute between the West and Russia, which is now being widely described as a new Cold War, will act as a significant drag on growth for years to come. It is certainly unlikely that the measures agreed on by the G20 to boost global gross domestic product (GDP) by 2pc, or £1.25 trillion, by 2018 will be achievable for as long as a country the size of Russia - the world’s eighth largest economy - is kept out in the cold.
Although a cocktail of economic sanctions and falling oil prices has already started to squeeze Russia’s economy hard, the West has also increasingly started to feel the pain of isolating Moscow. The brunt of a prolonged economic war with Russia is being felt by Europe and the UK, not the US. European trade with Russia has almost quadrupled over the past decade to around $335bn and many companies now view the country as one of their fastest growing and most important export markets. Exports to Russia are thought to have accounted for 0.6pc of Europe’s GDP before the current round of sanctions was imposed.
Europe finds itself at the centre of a bitter dispute with Russia at a time when its own economic edifice begins to crumble. Deflation and stagnated growth make European countries, excluding Britain and Germany, stand out as the real sick men of the G20. Arguably, Europe needs Russian petro-dollars more the Russia needs the dysfunctional economic bloc of 27 nations who themselves are squabbling over whether to stay together.
At a time when most European countries should really be focusing on cutting budget deficits and trimming state spending, the threat of Russia means that outlays on defence have to be maintained and in some cases increased. Without the support of the US, Europe’s underfunded and outgunned armed forces are no match for Russia, even if its military machine is a shadow of the jackbooted horde seen parading on Red Square during the Communist era.
Trade sanctions and restrictions on individuals and financial transactions, the main targets of current sanctions, have had only a limited impact on Russia so far. Latest figures show that the Russian economy has grown by 0.7pc in the third quarter year-on-year ahead of the Bank of Russia’s forecast for 0.3pc overall growth. Most of the impact to the economy and the slump in the rouble has been the product of falling oil prices.
Indeed, the West’s most powerful economic weapon to force Mr Putin to the table is largely out of its own control. The curious inaction of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) to not cut production to stem a 28pc slide in oil prices since June will arguably have done more to spook Mr Putin than any other form of reprimand doled out by G20 leaders Down Under. Russia depends on oil and gas receipts for 45pc of its budget revenues and cannot sustain prices below $100 per barrel for long.
Even so, Mr Putin said during the G20 that his country was even prepared to sustain a “catastrophic” fall in the price of crude. His remarks may also explain why Russia has been stockpiling gold in the vaults of its central bank this year, accumulating an estimated 1,150 tonnes of the precious metal. However, even if Saudi Arabia – the only member of the G20 to also be part of Opec – were supporting a general strategy to apply economic pressure on Russia by artificially reducing the price of oil, it would be difficult to maintain this strategy for long.
Given these uncertainties, I doubt Mr Putin will have lost too much sleep over his public defenestration at the G20 on his flight home.
The end of Opec
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud was seen locked in conversation with Vladimir Putin during the G20. It is thought that both countries support the establishment of a new global energy body that would sit above both Opec and the International Energy Agency.
A report in the Australian press suggested the new body could be set up as part of a wider overhaul of global energy markets to ensure reliable supplies of oil and gas and also more transparency on prices.
For such an organisation to work, it would have to include the power to regulate physical supply of crude oil and natural gas to world markets. At present, only Opec as a collective group wields such power and all of its 12 members may be reluctant to give up their biggest bargaining chip.
However, if the G20 were to form a new overarching energy body, it could help to bridge the interests of Opec’s petrodollar states and the next generation of major producers such as the US who would like to strike a balance between lower average prices and security of supply.
Global economy to suffer as Putin quits G20 early - Telegraph
By telling Putin to get out of Ukraine? Yeah he sure did more than anybody else by leaps and bounds. Everybody else already did demand the Russians pull out a long time ago through official dialogue and yet somehow Harper gets brownie points for what? Saying the same thing that's already been said by everybody else as if he's the first to say it?
What exactly has Canada done (Specifically Harper) that hasn't already been done by other nations to warrant a claim that Canada wasn't standing tall before?
I in no way trivialized the situation regarding the shooting down of the airliner. It is a serious matter and I didn't say otherwise, but there's a time and a place to address it which Tony Abbott decided.
Abbott has already spoken out more than most regarding the downed airliner and I'm more than sure he still has plenty more to say. Considering that he remained professional during the G20 considering his nation was hosting it, more can be said for that than Harper using the event for political gains for an upcoming election...... Especially since Australia & Abbott are very heated over the shooting down of the airliner. There's a personal investment regarding the situation.... Harper has no personal investment in it or the Ukraine conflict, which speaks volumes by comparison.
But really? Occupation of Sydney??
Going a little overboard don't you think?
Besides, like many confuse Toronto as the Capital of Canada, you do realize Canberra is the Capital of Australia, right?
Uh huh... Putin is Hitler and Russia is Nazi Germany out to commit genocide on the world... And Harper is our savior from the evil doers. I think you've lost perspective ever so slightly.
Obviously, you're set more to a speed of flailing your arms and thumping your chest from 10,000 miles away as direct intervention.
Good on ya
Sure you did... Too bad for those families of the (Australian) victims on the plane.
Maybe you can get a protest sign together demanding the the Aussie gvt pass a law that no foreign gvt be allowed to kill it's citizens... They may get a fine or something otherwise
Never referred to Sydney as the capitol, that's all you bud
Now if we had a few pipelines from where the oil and gas are to where the ships can get it the Eu would have to find a different excuse for not standing up to putin.