Opposition On Softwood 'Anti-American' Says Minister

""If we do not put this agreement in place, we are into a tough lumber market and we can expect that litigation will get more intense, more ugly and we'll be seeing new cases come," he said"

Good, and Canada will probably WIN those as well.

Tough Lumber market?

They're cutting jobs in the US because of chronic shortages and Emerson calls that a "tough market"?

You could send a moose and a squirrel down there with a truckload and it'd do a better job of "selling" than Emerson.


"The potential devastation to the industry and to workers and communities and companies could be massive."

Perhaps, but NOWHERE NEAR the destruction that is almost assured if his "take it up the a**" agreemnt is ratified.

If the US doesn't want Canadian lumber, how about we sell it to....China?

Or would Emerson, the consumate anti-salesman say they were a "tough market" too?



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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"

"The Weapon" - Rush

The Conservatives never define what they mean by "anti-American." If you look back at their propaganda they obviously mean any criticism of the United States is anti-American. That makes the term quite weak as an emotive term but the media is falling down on the job by not pointing that out.

In fact in an item on the Conservative web page entitled "Duceppe and Anti-Americanism" they give examples of Duceppe's pro-Americanism and then ask: "Is Duceppe so desperate that he has now abandoned his former principles in a pathetic attempt to attack the Conservative government?" In other words, this implies if you are pro-American on one issue you must be pro-American on all issues to remain "principled." This accords with the "black and white" concept of "principled" politics.

Has Stephen Harper himself ever exhibited anti-Americanism? Of course he has. Remember when the US Ambassador expressed the US position that the Northwest Passage was International Waters. At that time Harper opposed the US position and hence took an anti-American position.

1. I wonder what the "inner core" of Emerson really is. Probably he has no core left, sorry I mean no left core, after having been a Liberal for how many years? Or does this new-found Conservative membership of his suddenly endow him with a new core (a hardwood one of course, seeing this is a softwood lumber dispute)?

2. Emerson basically denies "Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition" its right to do its duty in promoting Canada. Now that's a blatant heresy, and I do not know if someone from one side of the house has ever said that about somebody on the other side of the house. I guess one could politely call this "unparliamentary language." How low and coreless can one get?

"Or does this new-found Conservative membership of his suddenly endow him with a new core (a hardwood one of course, seeing this is a softwood lumber dispute)?"

I don't know. Let's cut him in half, and count the rings.

(Sorry, don't mean to pick on your posts Jacob, I'm just on a roll at the moment...)

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"I think it's important to always carry enough technology to restart civilization, should it be necessary." Mark Tilden

A pun a day keeps the doctor away. Even Dr. Caleb. Have a good long weekend.

I DO like the part about cutting him in half.....but the bugger would likely demand two salaries then..........

What is it when "yes" means "no".......?

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"We can have a democracy or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of the few. We cannot have both."
- Justice Louis Brandeis

I strongly believe in free trade and a level playing field but at the same time I feel that a level playing field means totally something different to the US then it does to the rest of us in the free world. I believe that Canadians should receive fair and equitable treatment under local and international law whether you are in Canada or any other Country that Canada has diplomatic relations with. That what is expected in one Country by its citizens is received equally in these other Countries by our citizens, no exceptions. That both Countries Canada and the United States of America have a level playing field receiving equally the same rights and protection of basic rights in Business as well as Government support, Trade, Travel and Human rights as citizens of our perspective countries.

The United States dictates the rules of any agreement it signs. When things go in their favour the rules are fine. When US producers start to feel as though they are losing something, whether real or not, then the agreement must be renegotiated. The real issue is that the US has too great of a hand in framing international trade rules, which it uses to ensure that its own producers are somehow insulated from the tough realities that it recommends for others. It is in the end it is a commitment to getting other countries to give American producers access to their markets and the US reciprocates when it is convenient. This is due to a lack of checks and balances (economic and trade diversity) that other countries in the world have to entice them to keep an even keel on their trade agreements.

Trade between Canada and the United States has developed to the point that Canadians are hard pressed to find anything in Canada that is 100% made in Canada that Canadians can buy. Everything is either made from materials made in the US, assembled in the US, manufactured in the US or can’t be made without tools made in the US. Do you believe that this type of situation would be tolerated in the United States? I think not but it does show that this Great Anti-Americanism that people claim exists in Canada can't be that great if Canadians are so willing to have allowed such integration of our markets and goods to such an extent.

Yes, I hear the calls of anti-Americanism from the United States when Canadians stand up for their rights or express themselves rightfully or not as Pro-Canadian or Pro-Canada. Yes even the firing of people in Canada for doing it. One can find examples several times a year on every American Broadcast Station in the U.S., Lou Dobbs, Wolf Blitzer, Jack Cafferty and people like Ann Coulter who said, “Lucky that America lets Canada live on the same continent with us.” as examples. What I don’t hear is Americans denouncing American Presidents, Senators, Congressmen, Ambassadors, Broadcasters, and Announcers etc. for trashing, attacking or justifying Americans retaliating against Canadians and Canadian Businesses as anti-Canadian and being detrimental to American foreign relations.

Canada with its population of 9% of that of the United States of America is of no threat to American sovereignty or trade by any means.

What the hell, just blame Canada or in this case Canadians for standing up for Canadian rights.



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Perception is two thirds of what we perceive reality to be.

Difficult decisions are a privilege of rank.

Here's a primer on the American level playing field vs the one everyone else uses.

The US "level playing field is a vertical line with the US at the top of the line, and whoever the poor SOB they're "trading " with at the bottom.

The one eveyone else uses is a straight horizontal line.

I hope this clears up any confusion concerning the term "level playing field".



As for "people like Ann Coulter who said, “Lucky that America lets Canada live on the same continent with us", I say she's just a half witted tramp who couldn't find her own ass without help from CNN.

Too bad nationalists never become PM anymore, it'd sure be nice using our energy and resource clout to make the American realize they're not gods.





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"and the knowledge they fear is a weapon to be used against them"

"The Weapon" - Rush

It's almost as if Emerson thinks this is a "bad thing". He obviously is deaf to the Canadian voice. One may think that this is the reason Emerson jumped ship and defied his own supporters. He actualy believes Canadians want to cater to Americans.

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Expect little from life and get more from it.

Why was this even reported? First Emerson states that opposition to his "softwoody" deal is anti-American then goes on to say that he predicts it will pass after all the partisan dancing quiets down? What was the point exactly? He's been the only one doing all the dancing and media singing. I'm anti-Emerson.

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"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." Friedrich Nietzsche

"Free trade" is an oxymoron. Furthermore, as the earth is curved there is no such thing as a level playing field and two plumb bobs bobbing and pointing at the center of the earth are not parallel to each other even if they are side by side!

I feel better having dispelled them thar notions.

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"Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
(Albert Einstein)

Sir John A. must be spinning in his grave ...

truly sad.

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‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ (Edmund Burke)

Milton is right that "free trade" is an oxymoron and fraud. Nothing is free and these "free trade agreements" have more freedom restricting rules than any lawbook, going on for thousands of pages.

When we examine present and past economic theories, we find that they were all religion and ideology based efforts to cover up the real costs and transfer them on other sectors.

The present, imaginary money based neoclassical theory is the worst system of unaccounted cost transfers, causing incredible destruction and one disaster after another. The purpose of the so called "free trade agreements" and "globalization" is to widen the base on which unaccounted costs can be transferred to with the perceived power of imaginary capital.

The claimed purpose of economics is distribution of scarce resources, which means regulations to ensure beneficial distribution and to prevent the system from becoming legalized crime, as it is now.

Most of our lives are spent on the protection of our bodies, properties, families, etc. therefore the protectionism of all levels of the economy must be an important part of any economic theory and system, otherwise known as "democracy".

Economic systems must be designed on the same legal principles as road systems, where everybody is permitted to go anywhere, under strict rules, with independent authorities protecting the lives and properties of all, big, or small. As large vehicles are not permitted to push others off the road, neither should ecnomic systems be
based on the destruction of and the cost tansfers on others.

We can not have "free" road systems, neither can we we have "free trade", designed for legalized theft and destruction.

By the way, the concept of the "welfare state" is not some "socialist" theory. It was developed by the pre war Conservative government of Britain, fearing a revolution.

Because, we have oodles of historical precedents showing that people can take only so much, before they explode in violence.


Ed Deak.

As an American Canadian, when I severely attack the rulers of the U.S. and the shameful support of fascist policies by the dumbed down American population I believe I am being anti-totalitarian and anti-fascist, not anti-American. I am unconsolably ashamed that the country of my birth (and Canada with PM Steve) has gone down the road of corporatist fascism, and, as a true American and Canadian patriot, I feel that, in most cases, expressing what are now being called "anti-American" sentiments makes one pro-America, pro-Canada, pro-humanity and pro-Gaia. After all, isn't a patriot somebody who struggles to help the people of his country resist injustice imposed by tyrants?

As for why this article was originally published, remember last February when PM Steve told the U.S. that he would be countering the "anti-American" sentiment in Canada? Perhaps this is a bit of proof he is doing just that.

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Michael