The Great Rudderless North

It's an international emergency, markets are exploding, people are being thrown out of work en masse, plutocrats are being forced to cut back to mere single silk linings to their napkin holders, and Canada's minority government is responding so badly that its radically disparate opposition have managed to find enough common cause to turf the bastards... And Rick Mercer, Canada's native genius gives a witty summary, yaaay.

So now still-prime-minister Harper has persuaded the GG to carry out a legal hijinck to suspend parliament for 2 more months so it can't be used till then to depose him. Which doesn't seem so bad (2 months to plan for how to handle being prime minister in the midst of an economic crisis may even be a good thing), except that... you know, the economic crisis is hitting NOW, and it might be a good idea to have someone steering the ship more... what's the word I'm looking for... 'nowish'. And the GG signed off on this move why? Because saying 'no' would have made waves she was probably scared to deal with. Some day they will make a "profiles in courage" series, about someone else.

So the ship of state has busted into a field of icebergs, the hull is getting bashed and scratched, water is leaking in left and right, and a fist fight has broken out in the cabin over who gets the steering wheel. And what has the captain done? With steely preschool-honed instincts, he has locked everyone out of the cabin for the next 2 months so that nobody can take the hat away from with all the fancy braiding on it. Oh Canada, you inspire such confidence Rick Mercer.