the Walnut Diary

Bob Rae dropped the term in a press conference today in reference to the current occupants of the Prime Minister’s Office, and he couldn’t have been more apt in his terminology. I kinda wondered at his choice of metaphor even while applauding it, but when I looked up definitions of “jihad” I realized that he had not used it entirely as a metaphor. By many definitions available for the word, Rae’s characterization of members of the PMO staff is correct.

Mr. Rae has added significantly to the dialogue on Parliament Hill with an apt characterization of the blind devotion of young adherents to Stephen Harper’s cause whom Harper has given influence far in excess of their capabilities.

I chose not to collect the various definitions of the broad term “jihad” and display them here. Look them up yourself. It will be an education.

Bob Rae has risen considerably in my estimation with this comment. He sent me running to the dictionary, he broadened and deepened my understanding of my world, and he did it with proper historical perspective and a sense of fun. This is what I look for in a leader.