Another Canada Day makes me recognize once again my gratitude to my family for choosing Canada while yet wondering why my country never lives up to its promise. In fact, it seems to me the promise is actually receding, as the Stephen Harper government seems increasingly isolated in a parallel universe of its own creation.

A few recent snapshots:

The Prime Minister pursues his global goals and offers unsolicited instructions to Europe on what it must do to clean up its mess. The President of the European Commission is refreshingly candid in response: "Frankly, we are not coming here to receive lessons in terms of democracy and in terms of how to run an economy ..."