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Michael Higgins: Carney's Davos mantra isn't realpolitik, it is moral abrogation

Taking the world as it is let's the prime minister both support and oppose the war on Iran

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And with one slick soundbite — we take the world as it is not as we wish it to be — Prime Minister Mark Carney gets to straddle whatever political or foreign fence he is confronted with.

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Difficult choices and questions can all be deferred or deflected with this simple mantra.

Michael Higgins: Carney's Davos mantra isn't realpolitik, it is moral abrogation Back to video

On the face of it, the statement could be viewed as realpolitik, but at its core it is a form of moral abrogation. It also leads to confusion and inconsistency.

Where, for instance, does Canada stand in light of the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran? We fully support the attack? We are offering limited support? We regrettably support the action? Carney has made a case for all of them, sometimes offering his slogan as justification.

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