Trading With The "Schoolyard Bully"

I read this in the globe and emailed this letter in response. Mr Ibbitson, responded by saying it was an 'interesting response' .

Dear Editor & Mr. Ibbitson

Your article of Aug. 20, ‘Trading with the Schoolyard Bully’ was refreshing, but when you say ‘They were present at the creation. And they feel betrayed.’ You leave out the rest of ‘they’ and that is the Canadian people. We have felt betrayed, since the first Free Trade agreement was signed by then PM Mulroney’s government. The Liberals campaigned against it and won an election because of it. They didn't follow through on that promise either. We didn’t want it! The betrayal goes deep, since most of the agreements, then and now, are done in secret, with little or no consultation of the Canadian people. No one told us they were signing on to the ‘National Treatment Clause’ which might as well have been called the, ‘Corporations are your new Rulers Agreement’. You attached several quotes but here is another you should have included; The day the FTA was signed, Clayton Yeutter, the chief negotiator for the Unites States, said: ‘The Canadians don’t understand what they have signed. In 20 years they will be sucked into the U.S. economy.’ Apparently we still don’t get it, because they are attempting to further integrate us, through CAFTA, Smart Borders and BMD. Really who feels betrayed? Those sitting at the table, signing away our rights, our country and our freedoms, or the Canadian people who have no idea what is happening or why?

Yours truly
Catherine Whelan Costen
Canadian Action Party, Vice President and Candidate

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If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?

Some astounding quotations in a newspaper of record:

"Ms. Carney believes that Ottawa should order a freeze on all American investments in Canadian energy companies, claiming it is in the interest of national security."

"“There is a strong case to be made that when you're dealing with a bully, and the bully punches you, you should punch him back,” Mr. Ritchie maintains, echoing Mr. Burney. “You're doing something stupid to keep somebody else from doing something stupid.”"

"For now, however, Canada refuses to negotiate: International Trade Minister Jim Peterson has cancelled talks scheduled for next week."

"“Retaliation is a good thing, sometimes,” Mr. Gotlieb argues. “It's a necessary tool.”"

"“You can't simply stand down and let them behave in this cavalier manner,” Mr. Burney insists. “You've got to stand up to the Americans at some point.”"

These are the architects of the deal, those whose criticisms will be viewed most credibly and seriously by those who are not the FTA's original, consistent, opponents. What can be done to prevent partisan/regional subterfuge and counterproductive I-told-you-so's from ruining this opportunity to apply consistent and effective national strength?

My own suspicion is that this "go piss up a rope" attitude by the Yanks on this softwood lumber issue could be a form of payback for our unwillingness to fall into line with the other flunkys (e.g UK, Australia, Poland etc) and send an official Canuckistanian cannon fodder contingent to breath in some of that ubiquitous depleted uranium dust while assisting in the glorious liberation of Iraqi oil fields and the growth of Halliburton's bottom line.

Doubt it, the issue has been going on for far longer, weathering both good relations and bad.

Y'know, it does sound like you canucks are getting very, very nervous.

All your decades of unanswered yank-bashing, just for a national identity... it may have some very serious consequencies, eh?

God, we hate your guts.

And we have the power to make you SUFFER.

How's the tourism business doing, eh? Down again, this year?

heh.

You are about to have the world's biggest Ireland on your hands,
Einstein.

Shall we bring it on?

""Y'know, it does sound like you canucks are getting very, very nervous.

All your decades of unanswered yank-bashing, just for a national identity... it may have some very serious consequencies, eh?

God, we hate your guts.

And we have the power to make you SUFFER.

How's the tourism business doing, eh? Down again, this year?

heh.""

Ah , a fellow American and obvious Bush supporter , lol

I'd suggest the tourism business is down only because Americans know they won't be allowed entry back to thier own "homeland" without a Pass. Sound familiar? (a bit premature of course but to be expected given the scare tactics of this administration) Tourism to Canada is up from friendly nations.

One thing I learned from Canadians right after 9/11. They would do anything for us , no questions asked.

The reverse would not be true for many Americans (such as the idiot who hates Canadians)....if Canada needed our help , there would be a price to pay....either monetary or "other".

Just noticed I got my ambassadors mixed up. This is not Ambassador Wilson. :{ , it's Wilkins. I know him about as well as he knows me!

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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

Gee Don, does your "peace, can't we all get along?" personality know that YOU have access to the keyboard.

"And we have the power to make you SUFFER. "

... and that, unfortunately, is your favourite part about "the homeland", isn't it--the apparently God-given special exemption from the thou-shalt-not's? It's a shame how history wears boxers not briefs, and so the pendulum swings.

Eschewers of cautious, nuanced and once in a while manipulative political speech, be advised that so long as this fellow steers clear of felony, he is as entitled to his vote as anyone--hence the origins of such rhetorical and diplomatic traditions. The challenge of politics is to pry such a vote away from the candidate who would most easily (and unfortunately) qualify to take it.

Thanks to the other American poster for the kind words, they rebut so much of what goes on here.

<i>Y'know, it does sound like you canucks are getting very, very nervous.</i><br><br> Well I can't speak for other Canadians, but you're darn right that I am nervous, considering that there's a mental midget, sock puppet of the NeoCONs and PNACers running the show in Washington. And although, no doubt, he's under strict orders not to do anything too crazy unless he gets permission from his Uncle Dick first (which somehow wouldn't reassure me a hell of a lot anyway), he does have his nuclear "football" he can play with when he gets tired of taking daily mountain bike rides around the fake ranch (actually an ex-hog farm I hear) in Texas.

Now here is a letter from a deep thinker. I would look to our leaders before putting the knock on the President. Mr. Dithers in Ottawa, Mcguinty in Toronto and Mr. Hall in Toronto. Me thinks getting upset with Mr. Bush is a smoke screen to coverup for these misfits. With no leadership in this country I will bet on America to win this dispute. I'm from Canada all I'm saying is much talk is being generated with no positive results likely. My brother in law is a real Canadian flag waver and my bet for $100. US is that Canada will fold before the first shots are fired.
We can't even scare the Danes. Quiet BS Canadian diplomacy is our forte which is never effective but gives us a nice feeling. I shall now sit back and study the situation and then collect my money and spend it on my next trip to New York City. Everybody is so excitable around here.

>>Me thinks getting upset with Mr. Bush is a smoke screen to coverup for these misfits<<

BINGO!

>>Quiet BS Canadian diplomacy is our forte which is never effective but gives us a nice feeling.<<

Bulls eye!

>> I shall now sit back and study the situation and then collect my money and spend it on my next trip to New York City.<<

Drinks at the Canadian club, I'm buying.