Paul Martin - Silence Is Appeasement
Posted on Sunday, December 18 at 09:48 by Anonymous
Mr. Martin is the leader of a country that will always be kin and close neighbour; he's a close friend and decidedly not anti-American. Canada's PM is one of only a few world leaders that could have insisted upon examination of Bush Administration criminality in Iraq - Bush Administration criminality, not American criminality. Martin has easy access to American media. He could have been heard in America, someone who could speak out about this crime and the accumulating evidence of premeditation, illegal war planning, lies and deceit about WMDs and terrorism; someone who could have put the question of illegal war and respect for the rule of law on the table for debate.
He could have focused attention upon the many tempting motives for attacking Iraq - how Iraq was ultimately about control of oil, control of the oil rich Middle East - and how danger from Saddam's supposed WMDs was exaggerated, is still being exaggerated as a self-defense rationale for a blatant and cynical war of self-interest.
Canadians are firm supporters of multilateralism and the rule of international law. Canadian PMs have always been strong advocates of the UN and emergent multilateral global organization. Paul Martin has said nothing as the present US administration has corroded multilateralism by succumbing to Iraq's many temptations as part of a radical new unilateralist, imperial foreign policy.
If as PM he hadn't personified Canada as the good man who lets evil happen by witnessing a crime and doing nothing, Mr. Martin could stand Bush up today merely remarking that elections in Canada, everywhere, elections globally, are less free now because the world's supposed leading democracy is occupying Iraq and endeavoring to set up a client state for American ends. He could laugh out loud each time Bush continues to tell the big lie about how the war was to nurture freedom and democracy in the Middle East.
But he can't and he's already yesterday's man. Leadership has responsibilities. Mr. Martin is no coward - he did fight his way to PM - but he had a moment to step up and he appeased. We all could be in the run up to a final world war down the resource war path chosen with illegal war in Iraq. Mr. Martin didn't/won't say anything because he is a dithering politician not a strong leader.
Canada's PM didn't speak up - who can stand up to Bush and tell the true story of Iraq to Americans?
Bill (at) pacificfringe.n e t
[Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on December 19, 2005]
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Bush said after 9/11 "If you're not with us, you're against us!". Which must be the ultimate statement of his administration's concept of democracy, I've also heard from the Hitler and Stalin regimes.
Governments, either elected, or usurped, do represent countries, whether we like it or not, but when people start believing that the criminal actions of governments are the actions of the citizens of a certain country, that's stretching it a bit too far.
Wars are not between countries, but rulers. Empires are created for the benefit of rulers. The peoples of colonizing countries are just as much the victims of their rulers, as are the colonized. Their only sin is that they go along and serve the interests of their rulers and masters.
I had a lot of time to think about this, when I was lying in bed for 3 months, as an 18 year old war veteran in a strange country, where I couldn't speak the language at the time, seeing all the suffering and destruction all around me, caused by the greed of a criminal gang.
That was when I decided that no politician will ever again send me to kill anyobody, or be killed, and I kept it. I didn't become a pacifist who'd turn the other cheek. I do believe in people's right to defend themselves. As a rancher, I'm entited to have a gun at hand at all times and if anybody'd came to our house with bad intentions, they'd soon be facing one. But attacking others and taking their resources are the actions of criminals and it should be recongnized as such both in their own and in other countries and societies.
When we oppose the actions of our governments we're not any more "anti-Canadian" as we're not "anti-American" when we oppose the actions of a US governments.
Regardless of what the paid toadies on both sides claim.
Ed Deak, Big Lake, BC.,
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Iraqis! I'd believe them over a corrupt canuck pm any day.<br />
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+++<br />
<br />
Iraqi Voter Tells Insurgents, Dems, "Go To Hell"<br />
<br />
An Iraqi voter, Betty Dawisha, lumped terrorist insurgents and American Democrats together by saying "Anybody who doesn’t appreciate what America has done and President Bush, let them go to hell," as depicted in video captured by the Political Teen.<br />
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<a href="http://thepoliticalteen.net/2005/12/13/gotohell">http://thepoliticalteen.net/2005/12/13/gotohell</a>
it's difficult to judge a nation or individual who take very little consequential action on anything; they're like a blank slate. it's easy to attack and criticize the opposite. maybe that's the whole idea. being on the world stage isn't about a popularity contest. high school is over and it's time to move out on your own and stop relying on mom and dad on one hand, while bad-mouthing them and making fun of them. time for canada to grow up.
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Dave Ruston
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That victim trip really comes in handy come election time…Even if it is just total nonsense. Vote for us or you are giving our “sovereignty” away to those bastards! I appears that it is working again, to Canada’s detriment. Who cares about the sponsorship scandal or the separatists popping up all over the place? Who cares about the sea kings or the subs that catch on fire or the jets that can’t fly? Who cares about the all of the other legitimate problems that are being entirely ignored?
You are being lead around by your prejudice. There are people who make their living keeping you resenting your neighbor to the south in order to manipulate you to voting the way they want you to.
you realize canada tries to find (allegedly) so-called "peaceful" solutions to ALLproblems because it lacks the capacity to do otherwise. it acts like someone confronting a mugger and attempting to talk their way out of a bad situation. the armed robber sees through it. no one is being fooled. the world is a rough place. it's not like a quaint, democratic new england town meeting. diplomacy with rough individuals and nations requires the ability to back yourself up with brute force. it's the only thing some people, organizations and nation-states understand. there are many many of these who hate the united states but most respect it's capacity to back up it's "words" with real action. the iraq war was another wake-up call to them. the united states didn't back down and try and talk it's way out of it. the sad thing is american servicemen and woman are paying the price for protecting and maintaining the over-all western way of life (democratic institutions and vibrant economies)whereas this should have been a truely multi-national effort. a united front by all western nations should have been maintained (george bush or no george bush, he'll be gone soon enough.) it wasn't and isn't; the situation is more difficult and violence is more pronounced.
as far as canadian influence, it can hardly expect to have very much under the circumstances. obviously here are many canadians who like being on the outside looking in. it removes any difficuly decision(s) or responsibilty they may have to had made and dropped them on other people's shoulders. when things go bad they can say "i told you soo" and when things go well they still benefit. don't expect the people who do the heavy lifting to respect you though. honorable, truely patriotic canadians know this is true.
The Americans believe in force or "mug rule". You obviosly can't see anything but. It's the upbringing of Americans to "take what you want" and justify it by saying "it's for their own good". It's impossible for a Canadian to explain that this attitude is mostly "American". Is it to late to teach an old dog new tricks? For whatever reason, an American must feel superior even if it's in their own eye. Smash the lock rather then find a key,is the best solution to Americans.
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Very true. That seems to be the motivation behind these Military gifts!<br />
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<a href="http://www.cafepress.com/shop/military/browse/store/crusaderbay1/384539">http://www.cafepress.com/shop/military/browse/store/crusaderbay1/384539</a>
Justme states:
"the united states didn't back down and try and talk it's way out of it."
Back down to what?. A nation of 24 million people with no aircraft and almost no armaments.
"whereas this should have been a truely multi-national effort. a united front by all western nations should have been maintained".
And whose fault was it that this was not the case?. Who were the 2 or 3 countries that were out of step?.
Frank
and again, there's that familar canadian attempt at moral and ethical superiority over americans (and i thought we americans were the puritanical ones?) what's it's origin? once again,canada sits back smugly and benefits tremendously while america does the heavy lifting.
you know this, don't you?
You talk about seeing Canada from the outside i.e from the US. That's fair enough, and I hope you are happy there, but I don't need any lectures on growing up, getting a job, accepting resposibility etc. I'm 67 years old worked for 42 years, have 9 children (including step children) and 15 grandchildren, all of whom I respect tremendously. One son works in Washington DC, he and his family will be arriving soon to spend Christmas. Previously I lived 25 years in England, spent 2 years in the army there, and although I curse Tony Blair, I have no animosity to the place where I was born, nor to the people there, I owe them for my education and my good health. Wherever I have lived, England, New Zealand, Germany, Canada, I have found people that I agree with and others who I have no common ground with.
There are groups of people I associate with in the US, I am sure that many are Republicans and many are Democrats, we don't talk about politics.
I hope that you at least acknowledge the things you got from this great country.
Frank
That is where you are dead wrong. That is what I have been trying to point out to you people. That can change. This disrespect can become a 2 way street. Canadians have wanted to be “noticed” for ages… What Americans are noticing is that you resent the hell out of us for doing the same exact things that you do or making difficult decisions that you haven’t had to make. If needless friction like this continues in the name of “asserting your sovereignty” you might be treated as well as some of your fellow citizens have treated Americans.
Presidents come and go (as well as other excuses) but this petty resentment is becoming a fixture in our countries relations.