Last weekend in Vladivostok, Russia, at the annual summit of the Pacific nation leaders who are part of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation organization, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper met Russian President Vladimir Putin for 50 minutes. The two men, flanked by half a dozen officials on either side, met for about 50 minutes. They talked about a range of issues. Harper questioned free speech rights in Putin’s Russia. In defending free speech rights, Putin used the phrase “gang bang”. I found that odd enough that I wrote about it here.
The two men also talked about the situation in Syria. Russia has blocked three resolutions at the UN Security Council that would have put more pressure on Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Putin has resisted subscribing to the West’s viewpoint on Syria and, as the two men talked about this issue, Putin called Harper and other Western leaders “Trotskyites“. When I heard this from one of the officials that was in the room with the two men, I thought it was funny.
Now, after the events on Sept. 11 in Cairo and Tripoli, it seems to me that it’s a lot less funny. I explain here.
Putin should stick to martial arts … history learned under the Brezhnev regime is not something anyone would want on his resumé.
Harper was elected with the votes of roughly 38% of the voters. Though our electoral system mandated that he become Prime Minister, fully 62% of voting Canadians, voted against him. For that reason, anything he says about anything or anyone, should be seen as suspect or said for political effect or for the press. He lies all the time. Ignore him.