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Sécurité

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Why Get involved?

Participant: dwbandit

Date: 2003-03-17 23:11:32

Why should we always get involved in U.S. problems? It seems that the U.S government can start these wars but always wants Canada to join in the fight.

Yes we are peace keepers but who is keeping the peace from the Americans? No offence to anybody who is American reading this, but Bush is a war monger himself, and he wants people to believe that Iraq is a threat because of the oil, situation. Why are we putting our people's lives on the line for a war that 100's of thousands of people around the world DO NOT WANT? North Korea is a bigger threat, and they "the U.S" aren't doing a thing about them? Why is that? Mr Graham, if you are reading this, please entice Mr Chretien not to get involved... Send this message to him... "WE THE PEOPLE, DO NOT WANT A WAR!" I am but one person, but I am writing for those people who are prostesting every where!

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Why Get involved?

Participant: 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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Why Get involved?

Participant: fatmomma

Date: 2003-03-27 21:42:46

I do not believe we should approve of the invasion of Iraq; that would be condoning it and Cretien would be accused of waffling again. I do think we should and would send aid to the Americans if there were any large casualty. I would support sending a Hospital ship or any other medical aid.
Canada is still supporting the "war on terror" We do have peacekeepers in Afghanistan. We have ships patrolling the waters around Afghanistan which have the ok to protect any American ship. Cretien just pledged 100 million towards humanitarian aid in Iraq. I do feel we are doing our share, under the circumstances. I wish Canadians would quit apologizing about not joining this war. We can wish the American soldiers well and pray this is over soon; with a minimal loss of life. Canadians should be proud of Canada and our stand.

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