Preston Manning....On Sometimes, Off Others....What Else is New?

With the 20th anniversary of the Reform Party’s formation on the brink, Macleans magazine sat down with founder Preston Manning to muse about his time at the helm of what was certainly the strongest political grassroots movement in Canada’s history (unless you consider the Rhinoceros party).

It’s an excellent interview and a must read for the staunch political observer. The interviewer asks Manning at one point what he thinks about the Afghanistan and more to the point, what he thought of the present Government being the one who has to “sell it” to Canadians. Manning’s response is one that should be shared by many Canadians:

“I think it’s a hugely important issue and at the base of it is this question: If the rights and freedoms and potential for democracy of some people other than ourselves are threatened, do we try to do anything about it?”

He goes on to say that the U.S. is starting to wain on their willingness to be the police for the planet, and that when they abdicate that role, we’ll find out how much good they have done. This is a little bit of a stretch. The U.S. is clearly entrenched in their role of bringing freedom to the masses and is unlikely to stop it anytime soon.

In any case, a great interview. A must read!