Posted on 03/03/2005 11:13:24 AM PST by proud American in Canada
The fallout from Paul Martin’s decision not to participate in the ballistic missile defense program has been massive. I’m not sure Paul Martin knows what hit him.
The loony leftists aside, average Canadians are upset with the Liberal government and very, very concerned that this decision is going to directly impact them in the pocketbook, given that 80% of Canadian exports are sold to the U.S. market and that tourism here depends heavily on American visitors.
Many here suspect that the decision yesterday of a Montana judge not to reopen the U.S. border to Canadian beef would have turned out differently had Martin not double-crossed George W. Bush. The Canadian beef industry has been devastated by the closed border and may not survive if the border remains closed indefinitely.
The newspapers are full of supportive letters written by average Canadians and some have called the White House to express their disgust with Martin.
Also, the news media has ripped into Martin. 90% of the coverage has been highly critical of the substance of the decision and of the way he handled it, both here in Canada and in reporting it to the United States.
Yesterday’s National Post, a conservative paper, devoted two full pages to how not participating in BMD will adversely affect relations with the United States.
The first page, headlined, “From Texas, Ohio, New York and Boston, Americans ask one question of our Prime Minister: Why?” was devoted to reprinting editorials from U.S. newspapers.
Like many newspapers across the States, this page reprinted the infamous “Canadian Free Riders: Don’t Worry About Missiles; The Yanks Will Save Us” opinion piece from the Wall Street Journal (a subscription is required to read that at www.wallstreetjournal.com).
The second was a scathing piece from The Boston Herald, “Give Martin the Putin Treatment.” The original may be found here:
http://news.bostonherald.com/opinion/view.bg?articleid=70259
The third, entitled “The John Kerry of the North,” was from The Plain Dealer. The original may be found here:
http://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1109413890261900.xml?oxedi
Finally, the Post also reprinted Freeper DH’s essay. DH owns a Texas company and has decided to no longer sell his products to Canada. He articulates his reasons why here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1352592/posts
The Post also featured a copy of DH’s “No sales to Canada” website page:
http://www.weldtron.com/general/Canada.htm
Finally, the second page was devoted to lengthy and perceptive pieces by Claire Hoy (“Betraying a Great Friend”) and Andrew Coyne, “The U.S. is in No Mood for this Nonsense”
I could not find a link to Hoy’s article, but Coyne’s article may be found here;
http://andrewcoyne.com/2005/03/us-is-in-no-mood-for-this-nonsense.php
Even left-leaning newspapers—including the Globe and Mail and the ultra-liberal Toronto Star--are criticizing Martin, whose government is demonstrating profound ineptness regarding its relationship with the U.S.
For example, today, the new ambassador to the U.S., Frank McKenna, opined that the refusal to participate in BMD is a “direct result” of softwood lumber and beef trade disputes:
http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=e049e880-097d-4f69-a083-03d5a1138553
Oh really? If that’s why Martin came to his decision, it comes as news to Canadians, as Martin has never explained his position or allowed a parliamentary debate on this issue, as he had promised he would.
A recent national COMPAS poll reports that 54% of Canadians are against missile defense. However, this number is misleading. To better understand the situation, you have to break it down by province. Then you learn that amazingly, despite the liberal bias of most of the Canadian news media and the fact that not one politician has tried to make the case for joining BMD, 53% of Canadians outside of Quebec support it. It’s the 75% of Quebeckers who do not support it that skew the national poll.
In short, this debacle has all the makings of a situation where this minority government could come crashing down. The opposition could call an election and make the case that joining missile defense is a good idea and that in once again poking a stick in Uncle Sam’s eye, Paul Martin has seriously damaged the livelihood of average Canadians. A resounding Liberal defeat would go a long way to demonstrating to Americans that Canadians support them.
Unfortunately, we haven’t heard a peep from the Conservative leader, Stephen Harper, who appears to have been whisked away to an undisclosed location.
Is he, like Martin, aiming to appease Quebec? No one knows because he has apparently vanished, but one thing is certain--Canadians were stunned by this decision.
From my perspective, this entire BSE imbroglio is a public health scare run amok.
The number of BSE-infected cows-outside of the United Kingdom-is so statistically negligible as to be virtually nonexistent.
And-to the best of my knowledge-there has yet to be confirmed case of Cruetzfeld-Jacob Syndrome that can be traced back to someone who has never lived in, or traveled extensively within Great Britain.
What's even worse than this needless public hysteria is the fact that this issue is tailor made for the eco-fascist terrorist squads, who are using this as yet another weapon in their vast arsenal of anti-human propaganda.
The whole question of missile defense is chimera.
Like so many other decisions made by this feckless, vacillating prime minister, it is guided more by political expediency than by any sort of common sense or immutable moral tenets.
Believe me, if there were an operational anti-ballistic missile defense, Martin et. al., would be the first ones to beg for its protection.
-good times, G.J.P. (Jr.)
Excellent synopis..thanks..Is Harper perhaps heeding the old political maxim to leave your opponent alone when he's busy committing suiciode?
Don't feel bad. I understand how you feel from personal experience. My own brother lives in Quebec and we're at 180° when it comes to politics.
I made my opinions very clear. The liberal cabal is "the" sworn enemy of freedom and the West. This is something I'll fight all my life and he better not get in the way.
Liberals tend not to respect others' wishes and keep yapping until they get leveled.
We don't talk politics anymore and we haven't visited in years. It's a shame to be rough with my older brother but this is how the cookie crumbles.
Is quebec the most populous province in Canada?
Many Canadians are deeply ashamed and embarrassed at the appalling behavior of successive Liberal governments since the foul Trudeau assumed power.
Unfortunately, our slide into euro-socialism may only be reversible if Quebec separates.
I grew up in Quebec and lived through the first referendum.While living there there was no question that as a conservative(philosophically not the party) against separation you had to support the federal liberals.They were the only option.
I've lived in BC for 25 years now and I see the country in a totally different way, but my parents who live there and are very conservative and strong federalists still will only consider the Liberals as their choice because they still see the debate as which party will protect us from the separatists.
Theyy really don't grasp that the Liberals are really alienating a whole section of the country so severely thet thr real separatist threat will likely come from the west ie Alberta.
Whatever strategy he's pursuing, he should continue, since it's infinitely more effective-or at least, appears that way to the lay observer-than the tactics employed by his predecessor, Stockwell Day.
Hopefully, we'll be able to bid farewell to the Liberals before too long.
Clarification, I am sure, is forthcoming, whether the decision is rescinded or not. I would hope that it wasn't merely a sop to the notoriously short-sighted Quebecois. Criticizing the U.S. for acting in a unilateral fashion is fine, but then forcing us to do so makes no sense at all.
The Conservative Convention is next week. I am sure this will be a hot topic.
>>>>From my perspective, this entire BSE imbroglio is a public health scare run amok.
>>>The number of BSE-infected cows-outside of the United Kingdom-is so statistically negligible as to be virtually nonexistent.
One DOES have to wonder how much of a scare it is too.
Cattle Brain Samples May Have Been Switched at Finland Plant
USAgNet - 12/06/2004
Two veterinarians employed by Finland's National Food Agency are on trial, accused of switching cattle brain samples collected as part of the Finland's bovine spongiform encephalopathy testing program. The veterinarians worked at the Snellman slaughterhouse in Pietarsaari, Finland, in 2000. The veterinarians on trial worked at the Snellman plant in 2000. In 2003, National Food Agency suspended both of them on suspicion of wrongdoing.
The family-owned Snellman meat-processing firm is the only Finnish slaughterhouse with a license to export beef into the United States, according to a Finnish news report.
The report continued that the plant owners organized a briefing, at which Snellman workers were informed of the latest events. The processor emphasized that the company did not break any laws and the products were reliable and the internal supervision system worked.
http://www.usagnet.com/story-national.cfm?Id=1261&yr=2004
_
"And-to the best of my knowledge-there has yet to be confirmed case of Cruetzfeld-Jacob Syndrome that can be traced back to someone who has never lived in, or traveled extensively within Great Britain."
That is a very good point. Thanks for your excellent post and for pinging people.
So, the Senate voted to extend the ban. I guess now it's in George Bush's hands .... It will be extremely interesting to see what he does. I feel very sorry for Canadian beef ranchers, but I wouldn't blame him if he did nothing.
Thanks Ken. :)
"Is Harper perhaps heeding the old political maxim to leave your opponent alone when he's busy committing suicide?"
You must be right--that is the only rational explanation I've heard.
Canadians do not hate Americans. Us English speakers are really just Americans who say eh, instead of y'all. It is politics and the irritation that is caused by pandering to Quebec in order for the Liberals to maintain thier power base.
"I would hope that it wasn't merely a sop to the notoriously short-sighted Quebecois."
It seems to be the consensus up here that this is exactly what it was.
On a personal note, I'm married to a Quebecois and like you, melancholy, we cannot discuss politics. :) And a year ago at Christmas, after a bit too much holiday cheer, I got into a serious argument with someone in his family who insisted the U.S. was itching to send young Americans to die in Iraq only "pour le petrol."
*insert eye-rolling smiley*
On an interesting note, the provincial premier of Quebec, Jean Charest, is taking part of a group of influential Canadians and Americans who are concerned about the relationship. They recently issued a report stating that Canada should join BMD.
It would be nice if Charest or some other Quebec leader could *lead* and try to change public opinion here.
"a pinch of Ontario who believe they're a geographically-challenged suburb of Paris . . . "
LOL, you are so right.
"The Conservative Convention is next week. I am sure this will be a hot topic"
It should be extremely interesting.
BTTT
You can't possibly appease Quebec ... you can try, but no matter what you give, they will always demand more.
I suggest that when we build the antimissile shield, we simply leave Quebec on the other side of it. No point in wasting a perfectly good missile to knock down an North Korean ICBM headed for a political wasteland.
Ontario is the most populous province, with (in 2003) just over 12 million people, and Quebec at 7 million & some.
http://www.canadainfolink.ca/charttwo.htm
However, I wonder what the relative political strength is. I mean, there must be some ridings with more people than others, so maybe they're about equal in political power?
Toronto is such a huge city. In fact there was a massive migration from Montreal to Toronto during the separatist years.
Maybe someone who understands the system better than I do can enlighten us.
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