Posted on 03/05/2003 10:49:22 AM PST by quidnunc
Canada's largest corporations are calling on Jean Chrétien to put an end to "destructive" and "gratuitous" anti-American remarks by Liberal MPs, saying they could damage long-term economic relations with the United States.
Two of the country's largest business groups — the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association — said the Canada-U.S. relationship is being contaminated by anti-American remarks like those made last week by Carolyn Parrish, the Liberal MP for Mississauga Centre.
If the U.S. bashing persists, the groups fear American lawmakers will reject Canadian business efforts to increase economic integration between the two nations, and potentially restrict the flow of north-south trade.
Tom D'Aquino, president of the council of chief executives, said Mr. Chrétien should publicly condemn Ms. Parrish's description of Americans last week as "bastards" and make an effort to rein in caucus members who use heated rhetoric to criticize the United States.
"Her remarks were, at best, lamentable and, at worst destructive," Mr. D'Aquino said.
"We may not see eye to eye on every little detail with the United States, but cool it and let's not engage in this feeding frenzy which I have seen too much of — where people are calling [U.S. President George W.] Bush stupid and Americans are warmongers who don't give a damn what anybody else thinks," said Mr. D'Aquino, whose group represents the CEO's of Canada's 150 largest companies.
"It is not a question of saying, 'Everybody shut up and don't dare speak up.' It is a question of leading by example. It has to be clear, because if the perception among the Canadian electorate is that their political leaders don't have a great deal of respect for President Bush and his team, or are genuinely fearful of the long and far reach of this increasingly powerful empire, then it is all going to feed into the overall antagonistic attitude."
Yesterday in Vancouver, however, Mr. Chrétien appeared exasperated when asked about Ms. Parrish's comments.
"She apologized twice," he said during a news conference held after he discussed his government's plan to invest $405-million over three years to help the homeless.
When pressed further, Mr. Chrétien said: "I have nothing to add."
Ms. Parrish apologized last week to Paul Cellucci, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, after saying on Feb. 26 to reporters: "Damn Americans. I hate those bastards." But she joked about her behaviour on Monday on a nationally televised talk show and said she "can't even guarantee I won't do it again."
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalpost.com ...
On Monday, John Manley, the Deputy Prime Minister, assured a Winnipeg audience that members of the Liberal caucus and Prime Minister's Office staff would henceforth curb their tongues. Apparently embarrassed that the Iraqi propaganda ministry has recently publicized anti-U.S. diatribes by François Ducros, the Prime Minister's former communications director, and Carolyn Parrish, the Liberal MP from Mississauga Centre, Mr. Manley pledged that even if Canada ultimately opposes a U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, "we will not say or do things that will give comfort to Saddam Hussein."
And yet, just a few hours later, there was Ms. Parrish, appearing on a national late-night talk show, defiantly shaking her fist to egg on the studio audience as they cheered her intellectual tantrum of last week, "Damn Americans. I hate those bastards." Ms. Parrish told Mike Bullard, host of CTV's Open Mike, that her remarks were "obviously something I believe in." Though she admitted her utterance was "inappropriate" and said she'd be more specific about which Americans she despised next time, she couldn't promise that the likes of her Feb. 26 outburst "won't happen again." She also boasted that "the Prime Minister has not said one cross word to me. He was fine. He defended me."
For once, we are in favour of the Liberals enforcing their legendary party discipline. Last week, we argued that Ms. Parrish should resign her position as chair of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association. But it would now appear that Mr. Manley has little choice but to urge that Ms. Parrish be expelled from the Liberal caucus as well. As appalling as Ms. Parrish's remarks were the first time around, at least it could be said that she made them during a spontaneous tantrum — and before the Deputy Prime Minister explicitly spoke out against such mindless pronouncements. By permitting Ms. Parrish to continue to sit on the government benches despite her performance on Monday, Mr. Manley would be signalling that his new policy is a nullity. Worse, it might also suggest to the United States that his own pronouncement was for show, and that he and the rest of the Cabinet, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien included, agree with — or at least condone — Ms. Parrish's America-bashing.
(The National Post editorial, March 5, 2003)
To Read This Article Click Here
Comment: I for one don't see any significant difference between these comments by Canadians and the anti-Americanism of the German chancellor Schroeder.
But if the Canadians are being whipped up to hate the US and give our people grief when we go north of the border, hey, I'll vacation stateside this year.
By the way, the magazine was nice. I'll miss seeing Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island and Ottawa.
"It is not a question of saying, 'Everybody shut up and don't dare speak up.' It is a question of leading by example. It has to be clear, because if the perception among the Canadian electorate is that their political leaders don't have a great deal of respect for President Bush and his team, or are genuinely fearful of the long and far reach of this increasingly powerful empire, then it is all going to feed into the overall antagonistic attitude."
I submit that the Canadian government is pandering to an electorate which already has a significant vein of anti-Americanism running through it, and are reinforcing that anti-American attitude for domestic political purposes.
The Canadian government is doing much the same thing as Arab dictatorships all over the Middle East; setting up the U.S. as a whipping boy in order to distract the lumpenproletatiat from internal troubles.
THe whole of Canadian identity is not being American. Some friends, particularly those around Toronto, have really been shipped up in their anti-Americanism in the last few months. They still think Bill Clinton was the greatest president ever and George Bush is destroying the free world!
This MP's comments have only added to her popularity. Watch for more of this happening so other Liberal Party MP's (and candidates) do better in their political popularity. When Conservative or Reformers mention anything resembling pro-American views, their ratings sink (unless they are in Alberta).
We need a regime change.
There's a big difference.
The people bashing foreigners here on Free Republic are not national legislators and government functionaries.
And most here don't bash foreignes unless they are causing America problems.
At least that part is true.
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