Any person with even a modest dose of PJS (Political Junkie Syndrome) will have watched with fascination, the antics as they unfolded in the United States House of Representatives this past week.
It was a classic example of a rump group of extremists hijacking not only a political party but one that will quite likely call the shots in the House of Representatives for the next two years. It was not, as McCarthy insists, “a great exercise in democracy”, but rather the opposite, an exercise of allowing the tail to wag the dog.
It took four days and 15 ballots for Kevin McCarthy to win the speakership he desperately wanted, and in doing so he caved to almost every demand of the extreme right wing of his party. Twenty members of the Republican Caucus held off awarding McCarthy the speakership. Almost all of them gave in at the end in one way or another but not before they got what they wanted.
And what did they want? They wanted far more influence in the Republican Caucus of 222 members than their rump status deserves, and they got it. Positions on key Congressional committees, concessions on far-right policies, and a formula to boot McCarthy out of the speakership at any time if he doesn’t dance to their tune, to name a few.
And who are these people? Well, one of them is Marjorie Taylor Green. Remember her? She is an extreme right-wing conspiracy theorist, an election denier, a Holocaust denier, and fairly well-known to be a purveyor of fake news and false facts. Even her husband has a problem with her. He filed for divorce in October of last year.
How much influence will Greene have on McCarthy? One picture on social media taken immediately after McCarthy’s win on the 15th ballot, showed her and the new Speaker cheek to cheek, with a caption that read something like, ‘Kevin McCarthy with the new Speaker, Marjorie Taylor Greene.’
Matt Gaetz is another one, also a brash proponent of far-right politics and an election denier. He fought against McCarthy tooth and nail but on the 15th ballot, likely after a call from Donald Trump, he did not vote, intentionally changing the number of people present and voting, thus allowing McCarthy to win the speakership by one vote. He was the kingmaker, and he won’t forget to remind the Speaker of it, every step of the way.
Another person who was present and voting and is almost certainly soon to join the other twenty as a member of the so-called Freedom Caucus is George Santos. This is the guy that admittedly outright lied about much of his background and qualifications during the recent election and at least once, when voting for McCarthy as Speaker, clearly displayed the white supremacy sign.
These are some of the folks who will effectively hold the hammer and control the agenda of the House of Representatives for the next two years.
So, what does that mean? In my view, it means the United States, the largest democracy in the entire world, will be predominantly dysfunctional for at least 24 months. It means another step toward isolationism, reduced support for Ukraine in their David and Goliath war with Russia, and indeed, closer ties with Russia itself. It means, unproductive, unnecessary, and hugely expensive investigations of America’s Intelligence resources, further weakening the reputation and influence of the United States in global issues. It could also mean a lengthy and time-consuming impeachment attempt of President Biden, which will ultimately fail in the Senate. It will also cast doubt that any meaningful and important legislation can, in fact, be passed into law. Clearly, the foxes are in the hen house.
I can almost hear someone reading this far, saying, so what? What does this have to do with Canada?
My take on that is whether we like it or not, Canada is inexorably tied to America’s apron strings. We are not only neighbours who depend on each other for trade but in many ways we share a similar culture. What happens there often finds its way into the fabric of Canada.
For example, in my view were it not for the assault on the United States capital two years ago, and the populist wave that followed that, I doubt very much if the so-called trucker’s convoy and related blockades across this country aimed, at least in part, at bringing down the government, would have gotten off the ground, at least in the form that it did. Many dissenters here were emboldened by what occurred there.
The United States has been historically a huge part of the Western world’s power structure. Canada is a part of that alliance. Declining respect for the United States and the weakening of its influence is as much a problem for this country as it is for the maintenance of an effective worldwide balance of power.
In Canada, while most of us believe we have a much better governance structure than that of our neighbour to the south, there are cracks in it too, and some believe that with three national elections in six years and a third-place party propping up the government, it is not currently effective.
One of those who believe that is former federal Liberal Finance Minister Bill Morneau. He is not a fan of what is happening here now. He has written a book about his concerns, and I look forward to reading it.
In summary, I think all of us should be interested and concerned about what is happening politically in the United States because ultimately, in one way or another, it will affect us here.
That’s just the way it is.
Hugh Mackenzie
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.
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