‘What’s the worst sin you can commit if you’re in charge? Doesn’t matter if it’s business or government, family or a club.’

            ‘Is this a trick question?’ Camp asked while enjoying the first sip of his pint.

            ‘No, just asking, probably prompted by this Signal snafu (situation normal, all fucked up) group chat fiasco from last week where the top brass of the US, including the VP, the ex-fox news broadcaster and now head of the Pentagon, the Director of National Intelligence, a Hare Krishna offshoot cultist, the Secretary of State and various other bobbleheads mistakenly invited a journalist to their chat about a military operation in Yemen. Makes Hillary’s e-mail controversy look like a high school chat room.

            ‘Ok I get the point. So, the worst sin is surely incompetence if you’re in a position of responsibility or leadership.’

            ‘Anyone particular come to mind?’

            ‘You don’t want me to name names, do you? We all know who wins the prize for the most incompetent leader and we also know that people like that surround themselves with equal or worse practitioners of incompetency and mediocrity.’

            ‘How did this happen and how come these people get away with their feeble-minded righteous agenda and get to rule?’

            ‘I take it this is a rhetorical question,’ Camp said.

            ‘Now, we have a federal election coming up here in a month. Seems obvious to me who the best qualified and most sincere future PM should be.’

            ‘Yeah, once again, obvious to the two of us. Definitely not the one who never had a real job, never fixed, solved or organized anything on any level and has no international experience.’

            ‘He would fit right in with the present US administration. Another bobblehead.’

            ‘Again, we don’t need to mention any names. Suffice it to say that the candidate who wants to make Canada great again; who euphemistically refers to it as Taking Canada Back – from whom or wherefrom is anybody’s guess – is not the guy who we want in charge of the country at a time like this.’

            ‘It’s a fickle world but the one good thing that resulted from this ongoing Canada bashing by the Supreme Leader is that Canada is now more than ever united in opposing the push from the south. Anywhere and anything but the US. We now buy, drink and travel local, as much as we can.’

            ‘In the end it’s all about the money, power and control,’ I said. ‘What happened to tolerance, understanding, love and respect’.

            ‘Yeah well, how is that working out in today’s polarised world? Everybody is rearming and nobody is wearing flowers in their hair. Also, when your neighbour suddenly wants to move into and take over your house and garden, then it’s not only about money but about fundamental rights and freedoms. It’s an existential threat.’

            ‘And we cannot elect a PM whose words and promises come from the well of populist sentiments with bumper sticker solutions like tax cuts and life sentences for people, gun and drug smugglers.’

            ‘As we both know, politics attracts not always the smartest people so we should try and elect somebody that is not motivated by hubris and self-promotion but who understands and shows empathy for the plight of the ordinary people.’

            ‘That’s quite the stump speech Camp. You used to be a politician, a counselor for our small town but maybe you should aspire to a larger stage. Throw your hat into the ring for a provincial or federal office.’

            ‘I’m too selfish, too lazy and too smart to do that. I’d rather sit here and solve the problems of our world with you over a pint or two.’

            ‘Are you going to vote in the upcoming election?’ Camp asked Vicky who miraculously appeared with two fresh brews.

            ‘I will,’ she said.

            ‘And are you going to tell us who you’ll vote for?’

            ‘The one who is best qualified to deal with the bully,’ she said and winked at me.

            ‘She should be a politician,’ Camp said.