It has been said鈥攎ainly by Americans鈥攖hat the U.S. leads and the rest of the world follows. And judging by some of the changes Canada has experienced over the last 20 years, there may be some truth to that.
There鈥檚 no denying鈥攄espite popular, pro-Canada rants such as those delivered by Rick Mercer, Maple Leaf-waving, chest-thumping patriotic beer commercials and the current international round of 鈥渃ool Canada鈥� Trudeaumania II, Canada is much more American than it used to be.
Like the U.S., we have a Supreme Court that makes or breaks laws put in place by our elected officials, we are becoming a more litigious society, our last prime minister acted more like a president at odds with Congress in his relationship with the House of Commons than the mere leader of the party with a majority in Parliament. And don鈥檛 get me started with the level of control U.S. companies have over our economy.
Sure, we still have many key differences鈥攍ike a medical insurance system that works, a social safety net, a federal law allowing you to marry who you love regardless of gender, sane gun laws, beer with real alcohol levels, and, of course, Coffee Crisp.
But as Justin Trudeau鈥檚 daddy once said, living next door to the U.S. is like being in bed with an elephant. We have to be careful when it rolls over.
So, it鈥檚 not surprising we now have our own version of a self-absorbed businessman-turned-television celebrity who wants to run the country.
But to say former Dragon鈥檚 Den TV investor Kevin O鈥橪eary is Donald Trump light, is rather insulting鈥攖o the word light.
While Trump wants to build a wall to keep Mexicans out of the U.S.鈥攑eople he described as rapists鈥攁nd ban Muslims from entering the country鈥攏ot to mention insulting anyone who questions him, including more than half the U.S. population i.e. women, O鈥橪eary has so far only targeted Alberta NDP Premier Rachel Notley for his version of headline-grabbing quips. And he did it with a shockingly polite, albeit insulting and self-serving gesture.
In a nutshell, he鈥檒l invest $1 million in the Alberta oil sands if Notley quits.
To paraphrase former U.S. vice-presidential candidate Lloyd Benson when he famously responded to his Republican counterpart Dan Quayle in an election debate when Quayle invoked the memory of former president John F. Kennedy: Sir, I heard Donald Trump and Kevin O鈥橪eary is no Donald Trump.
O鈥橪eary may be muling a run for the Conservative Party leadership but if he carries through I can鈥檛 see the Canadian electorate investing their votes in his political venture.
Talk about 鈥渏ust not ready.鈥� O鈥橪eary would make political lightweights seem like veteran Ottawa heavyweights.
O鈥橪eary鈥檚 consideration of a run for leader of Her Majesty鈥檚 loyal Opposition seems more like a ratings bid for whatever show he鈥檚 currently hosting than it does a serious bid to emulate 鈥淭he Donald.鈥�
While Trump is a billionaire who figures he knows better, O鈥橪eary, as he himself pointed out recently, is not. He just played a billionaire on Dragon鈥檚 Den.
It seems he鈥檚 not a politician either, he鈥檚 just playing one to keep his name in lights.
Alistair Waters is the assistant editor of the Capital News.
