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Contributor: Robin87
Date: 2003-03-26 01:58:42
Do we really have any choice?
Do I support Prime Minister Chretien’s determination to stand by the UN? Yes
Do I support Canada’s belief that the weapons inspectors and diplomatic efforts should have been given more time? Yes
Do I support the Bush administration’s questionable diplomacy? No
Do I believe Canada should have committed troops to a UN sanctioned armed response in Iraq? Yes
Do I agree that armed response to Iraq was inevitable? Yes
Do I support the US troops and people? Yes
Do I believe that the US will NOT hold it against Canada in future economic talks? No
Do I believe that the PM has made his point and should publicly give support to the US use of force to locate the weapons of mass destruction? Yes
Do I believe the PM should make it crystal clear our doubts concern the agenda of the present US administration and not with the use of force? Yes
Do I believe the present approach by the Canadian Government is now playing as a load of crap? Yes
I have been listening to talk radio stations from the USA for decades and I can see no hesitation whatsoever from the US to take retribution against us economically. The US will be waving their flag at every opportunity. Combined with their normal tendencies to give favour to complaints from US businesses in trade disputes regardless of existing treaties this will put us even further behind the eight ball. Americans will follow the Bush lead and you have given him a golden-egg of public opinion support. Watch US television, you will see that they will not be questioning Bush’s tactics (or logic for that matter).
Perhaps you think the inability of the American people (and media) to separate issues is also a Canadian problem. Maybe you believe a public support for the use of force will harm Charest’s chances in the Quebec election. Possibly you don’t realize you are losing support where you previously had no worries.
Someone once said that the problem with politicians is: that they just don’t get it.
Someone else said that one must always try to do the right thing.
The right thing is to now stand up and give a very clear message of support to our allies. Marginalize it if you wish. Make a statement that gives support to the removal of Iraqi weapons by force but not to all of the Bush agenda. Commit us to standing by our allies while at the same time expressing our serious doubts regarding the political goals. (I think your statements agreeing with the regime change were just plain silly)
We cannot remain bystanders. We are the junior partner in a relationship with a frequently self-serving giant. Do not assume that saying the right thing will be remembered as such, saying that we are not neutral may be fair but it loses meaning very quickly in the maelstrom coming from the US media. Bush may be wrong, he may have jumped the gun in pushing for military action but that is already history. Americans are subject to the US administration’s decision and are already dying in Iraq. Nothing we do will change that. It isn’t our fault if the Yanks casualties may have been unnecessary but you cannot ignore the impact on the American psyche. Perhaps it is a lost cause, yet loyalty even at a price is worth it. After all, there are close to 300 million citizens in the USA and only a handful sit around a large wooden table in the White House. Don’t let the few jerks prevent us from doing the right thing by the rest of them.
A Canadian
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