Open Dialogue: Andrew Leslie and Alexandra Constantinidis Do It Right (UPDATED)

And even though Leslie's interlocutor was a woman the Liberals identified as a Conservative staffer, Leslie concluded the five-minute conversation by congratulating her for her "knack for asking really complicated questions, but that's good!"

Andrew Leslie is a professional soldier.  War has been his trade.  He understands strategy and tactics, weapon systems and supply chains.

Alexandra Constantinidis is a political aide who's job, in theory, is to help her boss wade through complex policy questions and positions, as the Israel/Hamas conflict is.

Her question was good; it wasn't partisan-skewed, but focused on opinions and evidence.

Leslie's answer was equally thoughtful and based on his professional experience.  He was cautious to provide a frame for his answer - nations have to defend themselves, terrorists must be eliminated, but also that civilian lives shouldn't be fodder.

He made a clear distinction between state and citizen, even further targeting his response to a select group of folk.

In Leslie's considered opinion, "dumb" weapons (as opposed to smart weapons with more sophisticated targeting and impact radius capability) were not the way to go, because they killed more civilians and, as a result, have a negative impact on the PR war as well as the ground war.

This was a great exchange that was focused on evidence and opinion.  This is what we elect our Members of Parliament to do; these are the kinds of questions and conversations, quite frankly, we should be having more often.  Hell, it's what we as citizens should be demanding.

Yet once again, the partisans and media are turning this into a "with us or against us" story, both in terms of sides taken in the middle east and Party solidarity with the Liberals.

Positions are being taken, stories are being spun - hell, I'll bet fundraising letters are being passed around.

 

 

That's what politics in Canada has come down to - black-and-white cat fights and partisans who fiddle while the world burns.

This, they will say, is how politics works.  These are the kinds of fireworks that get people riled up enough to donate or vote for one party or another.


War Rooms lob grenades at each other and hey, sometimes people get hurt.  It's a brutal business, etc.

It's also the kind of childish bullshit that turns people off politics in the first place.  It's what keeps smart and informed people from running - or if they're in office, from commenting candidly on issues.

Aren't we supposed to be having policy discussions and leaving no stone unturned?  Isn't it about shared solutions, not party talking points?  Are we trying to build a strong country or are we trying to eliminate undesirables?

Politics should be about developing democratic solutions, but largely it isn't.  No, politics these days is all about the War Room.

You know where this kind of approach takes us, pushed hard enough?  To where the Middle East is now - war.

When you bring War Rooms into politics, war is what you get.  Those metaphorical grenades become actual grenades; character assassination turns into real assassination and collateral damage involves more than damaged reputations and lost services.


But the War Room folk don't seem to get that.  Too busy being James Bond, I guess.

This is why I'm a fan of initiatives like Open Government and Why Should I Care.  If the partisans are going to circle their wagons and play Hatfields vs. McKoys, it's up to the rest of us to be the adults in the room.

 

 

I commend Alexandra Constantinidis for her question - it was a good one.

I commend Andrew Leslie for his response - it's what we pay him for.

I only which more folk in and out of politics had the wherewithal to be so thoughtful, candidate and forthcoming.

That's how democracy flourishes - not through tribalism.

UPDATE:

The party sent out a fundraising email blast mid-week, slamming Leslie's "stunning lack of awareness of the dangers Israel faces"

Of course they did.  I doubt there was even any consideration on whether the statement was remotely true or responsible.  Who cares?  Politics is war and w need as much money as possible to back their righteous cause, eh?

Just wait 'til they get really clever and realize they can get money from their opponents by letting it be known they have amazing dirt on their people which will be released unless they send money your way.  That'll really teach 'em.

UPDATE-IER:  Had a chat the other day with another OpenGov advocate from Australia; she talked about agonism, the idea of civilized debate that doesn't look to attack and defeat but explore and understand.

Imagine that. 

I have been shot at by real bullets

 

I knew when I signed on to be an advisor to Justin Trudeau that I would be subject to partisan attacks and scrutiny very different than other soldiers.  I can take it.  I have been shot at by real bullets.

 

Andrew Leslie just gained himself a host of fans with that statement, while also hopefully bringing some clarity to the discussion. 

 

All partisans over-inflate their strengths and their opponents weaknesses.  Whether it's tanks in your streets or illegal coalitions, we make mountains out of molehills, making war games out of politics.

 

We have no appreciation of how good we have it here - nor, apparently, do too many of our leaders.  We call for elections here in Canada - not heads.

 

But Leslie goes on:

 

What is disappointing is that this particular attack may raise questions over a military retirement benefit and I do not think veterans deserve to have another measure called into question.

 

Anyone can complain when they're fired upon.  That's not exceptional.  The tough might be able to take a hit and then hit back with equal or greater force.

 

What makes a leader, though, is the ability to turn everything into an opportunity to support the people, especially those in greatest need.

 

We keep saying we want our politics rough and bloody, because it's under fire that you see the true measure of a person.  Leslie is under fire now - and if he continues in this vein, he's going to bring into clarity just what we've been missing.

 

Andrew Leslie: Honour Among Politicians (UPDATED)

"Justice must needs be a good thing, and the old proverb still holds good; thieves are never rogues among themselves."

So we're hearing that Andrew Leslie claimed $72,000 in expenses to move down the street.  Bought-and-paid-for advocates are shouting to high heaven about the gross entitlement of the man, looking after his own interests even as wounded veterans who are trapped in PSTD and may not have access to/know how to use the Internet are left suffering.

The first thing that struck me when I read this story was Leslie's quote - "The Department of National Defence handles and pays all the costs for packing, shipping... The overwhelming majority of expense is certainly the real estate fees."

To all the entitled, selfish bastards out there - do you have any idea how much it costs to provide you healthcare, infrastructure and the like?  I'm referring very particularly to Million Dollar Murray, that contemptible human being who claimed a million bucks in services.

It's possible Leslie knew he was entitled to a move, found a place to move to and then left the rest to the system to handle.  Does that absolve him of the price tag?  No more than living in society absolves anyone who accepts our democratic sausage without asking how it gets made.  We have no idea what he knew, what else he was engaged in at the time or what standard protocol for anyone in his position is, whether they plan to run for office or not.

That's all different of course - people going about their lives in a social system don't know and honestly, don't care about the cost borne by government for the ins and outs of their daily existence.  The cost of Ministerial travel is necessary, the cost of Executive pay is validated and the like, unless it comes to public scrutiny.  Ours is not to question why, right?  Ours is to hear and outcry.

The next thing that comes to mind is a passage from Peacekeeper: Road to Sarajevo by then-Major General and former Conservative candidate Lewis MacKenzie wherein he tells the tale of he and other military folk demanding status-appropriate transit for the commander of their UN mission.  If you were to ask the soldiers who have served under Leslie - how would they feel about this expense, as we're talking about their wants and needs here?  Irrelevant, of course - only the opinions that serve the narrative matter.

When I first hear Leslie's name raised in relation to one of Justin Trudeau's recorded policy talks, I made a point of connecting with friends in the military for their take on the man.  All were positive - one guy who had served with Leslie said "he's the real deal - men willingly follow him."  That was what I needed to hear.  If the people whose lives had hung on Leslie's decisions felt he was a good, competent and committed man, I was willing to give him a chance.

But politics isn't about leadership and some politicians have less honour than thieves.  For them, winning is all that matters; anything that provides that win is acceptable.  Laws can be broken, reputations trashed, good people thrown into the ovens to burn, so long as when the ash settles they're the ones left dining on the right side of the House.

Remember when Stephane Dion was called unpatriotic?  Remember when a legal coalition was called illegal?  Remember going over the heads of Parliament and even the Governor General?

We have moved into this parallel world where ends justify means and anything that can be used to destroy an enemy is all that counts, while anything that boosts an ally is all that matters.

Our veterans (Andrew Leslie included) haven't made tough sacrifices in defense of both our country and the principles we supposedly hold dear so that aggressive, petty partisans can tilt at whatever windmill suits their narrative.  That's not good government, nor a just society. 

Our veterans are not pawns in a partisan game, props when convenient and whiners when not - they, not some politician or their backroom operators, are the ones that stand on guard for our country.

They deserve better than this.  And so does Canada.

UPDATE 20/2/14:  It must be an unsettling experience, especially coming from a profession that places such high stock in notions of personal honour - unlike, say, politics.

Politics is about winning.  Winning comes at someone else's loss.  When it's about winning - not achieving - everyone loses.

It's time to change the game.