There is a sense that he, through sheer personality -- his own personality -- gives Canada a presence on the world stage that we had not had, except briefly under Pearson, and that suggested that somehow, as long as Trudeau was there, people might take us seriously, just because of his intellectual force, and just because of his charisma, his presence, and his long service in office. When he leaves power in 1984 he does it trying to implement a peace initiative, trying to bring the world away from nuclear war -- and in 1984 it seemed very possible that the world might blow itself up. I don't think Trudeau succeeded, but then, we don't blow ourselves up and his argument is, "Well, I tried, the world didn't blow itself up, therefore, maybe I succeeded."
