Is It All About Winning?

At least one Liberal commentator has suggested recently that I ought to join the NDP. This character was one who seemed to think that being "Liberal" means toeing the line or at least the party line as defined by the leader, Mr. Ignatieff.

In particular this would mean condemning the feeble rocket attacks out of Gaza and kneeling to pledge unquestioning fealty to Israel.

Bugger that!

If today's Liberal Party and its leadership has any interest in living up to the name, it's time to take a stand on the excesses underway in Gaza.

We don't have to be pro-Israel or pro-Hamas or anti-Israel or anti-Hamas. Both sides have plenty of blood on their hands and Israel has a lot of motives for bombing the hell out of the people of Gaza that have nothing to do with self-defence.

Ignatieff's stand on the Palestinian crisis is as wrong-headed as his endorsement of the conquest and occupation of Iraq. He's wrong and he's bright enough that he ought to know better.

Somehow I don't believe that the Liberal Party's facile policy on Gaza has as much to do with realities on the ground in the Occupied Territories as it does with political expediency. I think we've thrown our support to Israel because we think that's necessary to win seats whenever the next election is called.

I am a lifelong Liberal. I came of voting age as Pierre Trudeau was first leading the party into a general election. I have stayed with the party ever since but only because I felt it was the one that most exemplified my beliefs.

I have not always embraced my party's views. Only an idiot would think that all good ideas are Liberal and all bad ideas are Conservative or New Democrat. We, the Liberal Party of Canada, have had some bad ideas of our own. Some policies put forward over the past four decades by New Democrats or Conservatives were actually better than our own. There have been times when we have acted out of political expedience but rarely has the party benefitted from it.

I believe it is my right to oppose Liberal Party policies that I believe to be wrong-headed. I believe it is the duty of every other Liberal to accept my right to dissent even if they don't agree with me.

We have a healthy coterie of intolerants within our own ranks. Every party does. I'm talking about people who seem to believe that the party line, as defined by the leader of the day, must bind our consciences. The "my way or the highway" crowd is a blight on any party. It stifles debate and stagnates vision.

Before Mr. Ignatieff took the reins of Liberal Party power I said I would support him while he had a reasonable opportunity to earn my support. I've not given up on him yet but on this issue I have found him pretty disappointing.