The Four Horsemen

Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller, Jim Crowley and Elmer Layden - the backfield of Knute Rockne's infamous 1924 Notre Dame football team that became the most famous of its day.  The squad lost only two games in two years and became iconic in sports circles. Queried about his good fortune, Rockne could only reply that any team blessed with four such great talents would obviously have something to be proud of.The last two years have witnessed four books published that speak to Canada's potential for the world, its downward slide, and its hopeful ability to reclaim its historic status as an influential "soft" power. Some of the subject matter entails domestic policy, but the overall thrust of all four books is the need for Canada to stretch itself to grasp its own potential. It's interesting that all four authors are Liberals - 3 in the House of Commons, and one presently serving in the Senate.Michael Ignatieff's True Patriot Love constituted the Canadian story wrapped up in personal narrative. It was the Liberal leader's attempt to reveal how country actually defines personal character and how our proper response to that should be service to the greater good.  In the last two months, Ken Dryden, Bob Rae and Romeo Dallaire have published books of their own.Dryden's Becoming Canada explores the price Canada pays for entertaining hyper-partisanship and how, by reaching for our better potential, we might overcome our present stasis of political gridlock. When he observes that this country is no longer merely following a policy of multiculturalism but is now a full "multi-culture," it's fascinating stuff and reveals how we have failed to discern that marvellous accomplishment in public life. To Dryden, Canada's multi-culture presence in the world is exactly what makes us so unique and destined to assist other nations in resolving their own difficulties.Bob Rae has formidable international experience and let's it exude in his Exporting Democracy. In his view, a world full of significant challenges to democracy could use a good dose of Canadian expertise.  Trouble is, the last number of years have seen us downgrade our international profile, split various ethnic communities because of our ideological blinders, and slowly lose grasp of our international awareness through the decline of Canada's diplomatic expertise.Romeo Dallaire's They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children is by far the most visceral of the four books, as one would expect, and challenges the world - Canada especially - to deal with malevolent use of child soldiers in conflict. His anger these days at this country losing its bid for the Security Council seat is real, specifically because Canada, by its own self-absorption these days, has lost its ability to lead on such an important issue.Whether or not readers agree with the conclusions of each book, it's instructive that the Conservatives haven't come out with any treatises of their own. Perhaps, even in this, they are being whipped. Even if they did, it would be hard to rival the expertise and understanding revealed in these four volumes.Knute Rockne was correct when he stated his backfield would be a formidable force for any team. For the national Liberals, the presence of these authors reminds us that a better world will require a better Canada and that we are rapidly losing time in bringing both about.