In (slight) Defense of Incivility

There's been a lot of hand-wringing over the nastiness of this year's presidential primary season, especially on the Republican side of things. If you aren't up to speed, look no further than the most recent GOP debate held in South Carolina on February 13.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about the downward spiral some believe we are on. I think the demolition derby we are watching has often been devoid of substance and hasn't always showed Americans at their best. Yet, to those who dismiss it all as just another sign of American decline, I'd like to suggest that they are missing something pretty important about how a lengthy, even nasty, process like this is pivotal in establishing a critical personal connection to candidates.

Energy Ministers Meeting: Reinforcing the Low Bar for Trilateralism....

This past Friday (February 12), North America's Energy Ministers got together in Winnipeg to announce a new trilateral effort on energy cooperation. The idealist in me reacted like this:

Hey, great. Perfect timing. The North American energy sector could use a boost. Moreover, the whole notion of 'trilateral' anything in North America seemed to have died. Was the Winnipeg announcement as sign of things to come? Was trilateralism being put back on life-support? Was it an early example of Prime Minister Trudeau's commitment to renew Canada's relationship with Mexico? 

Then, reality sinks in once again.....