Mulroney: Inverse Ratio Of Bafflegab to Truth

"Confusion" translated=Anger. "Consensus"=Shut Up. "Facts" vs. "Secondary Information"=Don't Use Your On The Ground Judgment, Accept the Party Line (ie. makes diplomacy meaningless). "Phone Consultations"=Way To Squash Contradictions, ie. "Fix the Facts". Phone calls=sofa government cabals. Basically, Mulroney just confirmed, if you know how to listen and translate, that the GoC, and Mulroney foremost, had as their party line, "Listen kid, this is a difficult enough job already, we don't want to hear anything contradictory. Get it pre-approved by phone before you put it on paper". But this is precisely why the bureaucracy supporting responsible government has always demanded a paper-trail. The refrain is ALWAYS, "if it's not on paper, it doesn't exist and is useless". Mulroney & Co. advocated a return to the worst of arbitrary management, as a way to cover their asses. What a load of capacity-building BS. Colvin did his job exactly right, listened and judged, and made sure to pass on his information and on-the-ground judgment by email to all and sundry, leaving a clear paper trail. Mulroney & Co. didn't want to know, wanted to stick to the party-line at all costs, shut down anything that contradicted the "consensus". And so obviously, they were furious when buddy kept on writing and emailing his reports about probability of abuse of detainees. That didn't fit their narrative. It was actually a disaster, esp. as he sent his reports so widely, since it meant they knew they had just signed a terrible detainee agreement and would have no way to avoid admitting what they, what everyone, knew, that there was a very real risk, a probability, a quasi-guarantee even, that detainees would be tortured. Mulroney is a disgrace. I'm sorry to hear Bob Rae is so tight with him. As diplomats go, David Mulroney is to Saul Rae as Milli Vanilli is to Ray Charles. How far we have fallen.