PING!
Posted on 12/04/2006 11:10:09 AM PST by GMMAC
Question of loyalty
New Liberal leader Dion deserves citizenship scrutiny
Calgary Sun
Monday, December 4, 2006
By EZRA LEVANT
Stephane Dion is the new leader of the Liberal Party. And he is a citizen of France.
Imagine the shrieks from the media if the Conservatives were to elect a leader who is a dual citizen of the U.S. He would be called a U.S. poodle at best or a spy at worst. Every time he opined on a subject, it would be scrutinized through the lens of Canada-U.S. relations. Everything from military spending to foreign treaties like Kyoto would be looked at through the question: Was the Prime Minister of Canada truly pursuing Canadian interests, or was his loyalty to his other homeland at play?
Even Michael Ignatieff, the second-place finisher in the Liberal contest, never took U.S. citizenship despite 30 years living there. It was chutzpah that Ignatieff, a de facto American, returned to Canada to lead us. But at least he had the sense to remain a Canadian, at least legally.
So what is Dion's excuse? The man wasn't born abroad, as was our other leading dual-citizen, Michaelle Jean. And at least Jean had the taste to renounce her French citizenship (after public outcry) upon acceding to the post of governor general. But Dion was born right here in Canada. Yet he is a dual citizen of France.
When it comes to making decisions about the war on terror, and Canada's role in Afghanistan, will Dion be unduly influenced by France, a country that has taken up the role of lawyer and arms dealer for every terrorist state in the world, even defending Saddam Hussein until the eve of his overthrow?
Perhaps, in Quebec, French citizenship is a sign of cosmopolitan worldliness. More likely, it is a symbol of an inferiority complex, where French colonials demonstrate they are much bigger and broader-minded than mere North Americans -- they are part of the mighty French empire.
Here's what Dion said about the matter, on a rare occasion that he was pressed: "Multiple identities should be seen as an asset, not a threat," he said.
"There is nothing wrong with multiple identities. The hearts of people are big enough to accept different identities. Canadian citizenship will give me my rights. Identity is the way I feel about the country." No talk of loyalty or obligation, not talk of duties.
Because Dion was never considered a serious challenger, his statements like this have escaped scrutiny by the media, and by the Conservatives. Now that this loyal citizen of France will be on the next ballot to lead Canada, expect many more such clangers to see the light of day.
A word about Alberta's leadership election -- how dramatic to have one day that sees both a new federal opposition leader and a new premier of Alberta.
There are similarities: Ed Stelmach was seen as a compromise choice by Alberta Tories sick of the old guard represented by Jim Dinning, but wary of a dramatic choice presented by Ted Morton.
Stelmach is not a bold and charismatic man, but obviously is an organizer, moving from a distant third place to first in seven days.
If Stelmach truly is a uniter, he will give Morton a senior cabinet position and respect the policy aspirations of Morton's wing of the party. It is unthinkable that Dinning would now run as an MLA -- he clearly wanted the premier's job or nothing. Look for him to be appointed to a symbolic place in the party.
What an interesting time in politics.
PING!
No mo' poutine for you!
Well, America came within 120,000 Ohio votes of electing a President who is a French citizen.
That wouldn't count for long ~ after all, in the eyes of those Moslems taking over the place he's Jewish.
Yeah, but he would renounce his Jewish heritage quicker than Adolph Eichmann or George Soros in return for a leadership position in the new regime.
This is truly a child of Trudeau's utopian state-worship, which sewered our country in the '70s.
In much the same way as Americans fetishize the socialist Roosevelt, many Canadians truly worship the heritage of our commie bast*rd Pierre!
"they are part of the mighty French empire."
That's gotta leave a mark.
What will probably happen is he will revoke his France papers. That may effect breeding rights for this poodle stud however.
And you're right, the Muslims taking over Q-bec might not like that very much.
A spiteful little gremlin named Trudeau.
This time the liberals mean to create a bi lingual Utopia and force it on the rest of the nation, by alternately starving and feeding the various regions of the country to keep it disunified, pliable, and in economic purgatory, except for Quebec.
Vive le Quebec Libre!! (sarc)
Conservatives are quite right to directly question Le Petit Professeur, and inform the country that he is unfit for command. Canada has Not So Swift Oat Veterans from the prairies who need to be all over Dion every week. He must be created in the public eye to be an ivory tower mandarin, who means to make his pontifications about social justice the rule of law, and he must be stopped.
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