Who is anti-whom, anyways? We all just heard the American Ambassador to Canada complain that Americans are having trouble understanding why Canadians don't want to "be there" for them, when they have always "been there" for us.
Well, I have to wonder whether the Ambassador was referring to the barely exsistent minority of Americans who actually know that Canada exsists, or the vast majority who couldn't locate us on a map to save their lives.
It seems that self-centered nations, like self-centered people, always presume their very exsistence is some kind of favour to their friends, while the slightest sign of disagreement or independant thinking from their friends constitues an act of betrayal or adbandonment.
Of Course, no responsible Canadian would deny Canada and the United States are generally friends and allies. That means , among other things, if the U.S. itself really were threatened, Canadians would "be there" just as we were there-and are there-regarding the attack of Sept.11.
What it doesn't mean , however, is that we should blindly support every action they take. no matter what we think about the wisdom or morality of that action. What it doesn't mean is we have any less right then they have to consult our consciences about how we commit ourselves to military action.
And yet, this is exactly what the American Ambassador has just implied: For us to behave as if we were anything more than a mere satellite of the U.S. itself is to be "Anti-American" and remiss our obligation to our friends.
What is this but the latest expression of American disdain for the very notion that Canada is a sovereign nation, with just as much right to make it's own moral decisions as the U.S.? What is it but Anti-Canadianism? Where was their support for our concerns at the United Nations?
Just who is it, really, who's anti-whom? Lets at least get that straight...
But that's just MY opinion....

   

The other thing is what your definition of friend is. I expect my friends to tell me when I'm making a mistake and do the same for them. When we tell the US they are doing wrong suddenly we become Soviet Canuckistan. They never take into account that we just might be right, that what they are doing is wrong.

   

Yup my thougts too. It has been mentioned here by others that a good friend is one that supports you but will also tell you off when ya need to be told..of when they think you are doing some thing wrong..Like take your keys away from you so that you dont drive after drinking.. You may get beligerent and upset cause you are not getting your way, but later after the fog passes you sit and realise that your friend (in this Case Canada) was maybe right in standing up to you. Ducky that was a very well thougght out post and was not bashing, flaming, putting down etc.. any one You made a very good, valid point. I wish more of the political discussions were so .."nice".

   

   

MEANING???

   

News From The Front

Some of the extreme fundamentalist Muslim countries are now requiring all Muslim girls over
the age of 18 to shave all their pubic hair as a sign of defiance to the West.


International news reporters are saying that the anti-Bush campaign has gone too far.

And in other news

The French Government has decided to join in, they've renamed all of the bushes and shrubs outside legistlature. They will be called from now on "big babies"

   

LMAO I had to read it a 2nd time for it to siunk in... That was a good one Twila .... very sly..

   

You just made Mrs. Rev laugh, Twila. That ain't an easy thing to do tonight, she had a hard day.

   

The thing is Canada HASN'T been telling the US what it's doing is wrong. At least not the political way that gets results. Instead we have liberals lobbing insults at washington and no official opinion on the matter except to say "We want the UN to make all our decisions"

I am for action against Iraq, the US approach I think is not the right one, I do not agree with it. However I am extremely disgusted with our governments inaction and cowardice during these times. Canada has not been standing up for it's values, but rather hiding behind what the UN tells JC what our values are. What we have demonstrated to the world is when the going gets tough, Canadians will be nowhere to be found. Let's all take pride in that

   

Yeah, Chretien should have been tougher. He was pretty tough on the regime change issue, but not so tough on the matters of international law. I wonder how many times members of his cabinet talked to members of Bush's cabinet on the phone? I wonder what they said?

There had to be some discussion. Given the position of our ships and our reluctance to get involved, I wonder if that discussion sent the message I wanted my government to send to the US? I wonder if the softness of the message isn't what prompted some of the anti-American comments.