Posted on 10/03/2006 1:54:03 AM PDT by goldstategop
He headed them off at the pass. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a western Canadian from Alberta where cowboy hats and boots are still proudly worn, played the sheriff well at the 53-nation Francophone summit in Bucharest last week when he stopped a last-minute publication of an anti-Israel amendment on the conference’s last day. Harper, the leader of Canada’s ruling Conservative party, shot down the amendment, sponsored by Egypt, because it “deplored” the effects of the recent war in Lebanon without recognizing Israeli suffering.
“The amendment wants to recognize and deplore the war and recognize the victims of Lebanon. We are able to deplore the war, we are able to recognize the victims, but on both sides,” said the Prime Minister at a news conference. “The Francophonie cannot recognize victims according to their nationality. Recognize the victims of Lebanon and the victims of Israel.”
Harper’s tough stance, according to the report in Canada’s National Post, set off a lively argument in the Romanian Parliament where the summit was being held. The leaders left the final news conference to hold another closed-door meeting to try and reach a compromise on the amendment. As it turned out, Harper’s riding herd on the delegates, the majority of whom supported the amendment, paid off. The final version of the amendment was evenhanded, saying the Francophonie “deplores the tragedy in Lebanon and the dramatic consequences for all civilian populations.”
Harper, a staunch supporter of the War on Terror whose response to anti-war criticism at home was to send more troops and a squadron of tanks to bolster Canada’s 2,200 man contingent in Afghanistan, prevented the Francophone conference from being used to promote anti-Israeli bias, as other international conferences have been used in the past. Switzerland and France also deserve credit for supporting Canada in her effort to change the amendment. But it was America’s northern neighbor who came in for special criticism from Lebanon’s culture minister who, according to the Post, complained that everyone originally agreed on the amendment except Canada.
But this is beside the point. The Francophone summit, held to promote French language and culture, should stick to its traditional, non-political agenda. However, in the Post report, the Lebanese culture minister said there are plans for the summit to take political positions on international conflicts, a forewarning if there ever was one. The Lebanese president, Emile Lahoud, was not invited by Romania to attend the event because of his pro-Syria and Hezbollah stance, which indicates the dismal direction these plans are probably going to take.
But as long as Harper is around, they won’t have much success. His hard-nosed stance to change the amendment’s wording, he said, was “to avoid a similar attack on Israel in the future, a similar response and a similar result.” And while Canada’s Prime Minister was putting things in order abroad, there were also a couple of minor victories scored against the anti-American Left at home.
While on a visit to Canada, the President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, put the anti-war Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in its place. In an interview, he told the CBC that Canada should stop complaining about its casualties in Afghanistan, saying his country had lost 600 dead in combat compared to Canada’s less than 40, putting the issue in perspective. The CBC and other media outlets have been playing the casualty card to get Canada to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, crying crocodile tears over Canadian losses to advance its agenda. The leader of Canada’s anti-American, socialist New Democratic Party, Jack Layton, besides calling for a Canadian withdrawal, actually wants to negotiate with the Taliban. As a result of his cowardly behavior, the President of Afghanistan refused to meet with him when he visited Canada recently despite several requests from Layton.
Moreover, a non-political “Support Our Troops” in Afghanistan rally on Toronto’s downtown Dundas Square I attended last Friday went ahead despite initial difficulties. Citing bylaw and rigid regulations and codes, officials from the NDP-dominated city administration actually kicked a military vehicle off the Square that had a banner on its side for people to sign to be sent to the troops in Afghanistan. Ironically, while Canadian troops are dying in Afghanistan for their country, one of their vehicles can’t even get a parking spot at a support rally at home.
Showing their solidarity and more humanity, however, the Toronto Police, whose association paid the city’s fee for the event, refused to ticket the vehicle when it parked in a no-parking area on Yonge Street, a main Toronto thoroughfare, in front of the Square and continued with the signing.
The bad optics continued when, at one point, a threat was made to tow the satellite vehicles of the different media outlets covering the event off the Square. It was also said the fountains would not be turned off, which would have limited space. But despite these officious shenanigans, several thousand people, including internationally renowned singer Gordon Lightfoot, turned up for the highly successful, pro-troop event, showing their support for their soldiers by wearing red, the color of the Canadian flag.
All of which shows Prime Minister Harper has a bigger posse behind him than he may realize.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
If you are in Canada on Fridays, wear a red shirt. Every Friday is red shirt day in support of their troops in Afghanistan.
The sight is unbearable for media camera's, and on street interviews with a lefty while all the people with red shirts pass by.
This makes friday "very tight framing day" for media, so as to exclude all the red shirts from the shot.
I hope Canada does the right thing and at the next election, give a majority to the Tories.
And.....Just remember, if it were not for the bloggers (especially Ed Morrissey), the left-wing, America-hating, Israel-bashing Lieberals would still be in power.
Many of you are probably aware of this- we have a Canadian Sister Site:
http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/recent.php
"Free Dominion
The Voice of Principled Conservatism"
And it even has a hangout for Freepers:
http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=14
"Consider this a "home away from home" for our friends from Free Republic. If you want to post something of interest to Canadians AND Americans, or you just want to say "Hi!", this is the place!"
I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. I'm an American who lived in Quebec for 4 1/2 years. Still own property there and have many friends there, two of whom are Canadian soldiers fighting in Afghanistan, Patrick and Marco. I often wake up in the middle of the night and pray for them.
I am cautiously optimistic about the tide turning in Canada. Go Canadian Conservatives!!
"I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. I'm an American who lived in Quebec for 4 1/2 years. Still own property there and have many friends there, two of whom are Canadian soldiers fighting in Afghanistan, Patrick and Marco. I often wake up in the middle of the night and pray for them.
I am cautiously optimistic about the tide turning in Canada. Go Canadian Conservatives!!"
We're doin' it! We're taking back our country folks, step by step, slowly but surely! Never waiver, we've come so far so fast!
thanks again for the links. I am curious about one thing. Here in the US the conservative movement really strengthened through conservative talk radio. People began to realize that in spite of the unrelenting spin on the MSM, that they weren't alone in their conservative-leaning views. Eventually Fox News entered the picture and the equation has changed quite dramatically. (These are, by the way, just my observations)
Have you seen anything of that sort up there? Any conservative talk-radio programs? other alternative media? or mainly the internet, blogs, etc...?
Give a listen, Ottawa CFRA .
http://www.cfra.com/headlines/index.asp
thanks...will do.
Please send me a FReepmail to get on or off this Canada ping list.
"Give a listen, Ottawa CFRA ."
Don't bother listening from 1pm to 3pm, Micheal Harris is an anti-war, anti-Isreal, anti-military, anti-Bush idiot. Lowell Green is good stuff usually. (9-noon)
Thanks for the reminder. I will being a red or red and white shirt this, and following, Fridays.
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