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Alas, much of this is about both new-style virtue signalling and old-style politics.
Much has been made about how KXL’s cancellation — tied to the U.S. environmental left’s rhetoric about “dirty tarsands” oil — has always been about Biden consolidating the left of the Democratic party/ the coalition that helped oust Trump. Cancelling KXL — a move that doesn’t reduce current greenhouse gas emission levels but creates the need for more offshore oil — may be the ultimate virtue signalling.
One of the biggest beneficiaries of not having this pipeline will be U.S. railways. And one of the biggest American railways investors is billionaire Warren Buffet. What often gets missed isBuffet’s political interest as a big-time Democratic donor and his willingness to use his position to sway policies.
Sadly, we seem to be right back where we were before Trump. Even more sad is that how we react may make things worse.
Kenney’s talk about retaliatory trade action aimed at our biggest trading partner is unhelpful. Moe — presumably understanding our agriculture trade interests — wisely didn’t go quite that far.
But if this is now about the old politics of both sides ginning up their base, it gets us nowhere.
Mandryk is the political columnist for the Regina Leader-Post and Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
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