Oh, Great: War With Canada?
Will these half-wit morons running America push issues with Canada to the point where we are at war with our closest neighbor?
Anything is possible with the Bush cabal’s definition of “globalization of democracy” in play, but one can’t help applauding the stand that Stephen Harper is taking against the Bush administration’s over-reaching grabs at any part of the world they choose to infest with their definitions which apply to other peoples and countries, but not to the Bush cabal, and not to America as they see fit to remake it in some unrecognizable image of their own devising.
Time will tell, and rallying to support the Canadian interpretation of sovereignty seems like a sensible position for the American public, and a matter which is in our best interests in order to send a message to the Bush people that Americans still know right from wrong even if Bush doesn’t.
It is supremely gratifying that although Harper is a “conservative”, he is not a puppet, nor it seems, will he be a puppet of the Bush administration.
There are more than enough puppets loose in our world in these times.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Canada’s new leader takes on U.S. over Arctic
Harper to deploy icebreakers, build port; U.S. says waters belong to all
The Associated Press
Updated: 10:54 a.m. ET Jan. 27, 2006
TORONTO - Political pundits who declared that Stephen Harper, Canada’s next prime minister, would move quickly to patch up ties with the United States were having to regroup Friday after Harper used his first post-election press conference to tell the United States to mind its own business when it comes to territorial rights in the Arctic North.
Testing the notion that he would kowtow to the Bush administration, Harper, whose Conservative Party won general elections on Monday, said Thursday he would stand by a campaign pledge to increase Canada’s military presence in the Arctic and put three military icebreakers in the frigid waters of the Northwest Passage.
U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins had criticized the plan Wednesday, describing the Arctic passage as “neutral waters.”
“There’s no reason to create a problem that doesn’t exist,” Wilkins said during a panel discussion at the University of Western Ontario, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. “We don’t recognize Canada’s claims to those waters. Most other countries do not recognize their claim.”
Vow to ‘defend our sovereignty’No reporter brought up the ambassador’s views Thursday but Harper said at the end of his first formal news conference that he wanted to comment on them.
“The United States defends its sovereignty; the Canadian government will defend our sovereignty,” Harper said. “It is the Canadian people that we get our mandate from, not the ambassador of the United States.”
Harper’s surprising salvo was likely intended as a message to those in the Bush administration who might be cheering the election of a Conservative government and view Harper as a pushover when it comes to prickly U.S.-Canadian relations.
Arctic sovereignty has been a sensitive subject for decades, with U.S. Navy submarines and ships entering northern waters without asking permission. Ottawa has generally turned a blind eye to the United States’ sending ships through the area.
Canadian media reported last month that a U.S. nuclear submarine traveled secretly through Canadian Arctic waters in November on its way to the North Pole.
The Northwest Passage runs from the Atlantic through the Arctic to the Pacific.
More ships likelyGlobal warming is melting the passage — which is only navigable during a slim window in the summer — and exposing unexplored fishing stocks and an attractive shipping route. Commercial ships can shave off some 2,480 miles off the trip from Europe to Asia compared with the current routes through the Panama Canal.
Harper said during a campaign speech in December he would dramatically increase Canada’s military presence in the Arctic North. He intends to construct and deploy three new armed icebreaking ships and construct a $1.7 billion deep-water port and an underwater network of “listening posts.”
“The single most important duty of the federal government is to protect and defend our national sovereignty,” Harper said in that speech. “There are new and disturbing reports of American nuclear submarines passing though Canadian waters without obtaining the permission of, or even notifying, the Canadian government.”
Military action unclearHarper has not said whether he would order military action if the ships or port detected an unauthorized submarine in Arctic waters.
Harper, meanwhile, said he had a friendly conversation with President Bush on Wednesday but had not fixed a date for their first meeting. He said he had also received calls from other major allies, including Mexican President Vicente Fox, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Australian Prime Minister John Howard.
© 2006 The Associated Press.
Anything is possible with the Bush cabal’s definition of “globalization of democracy” in play, but one can’t help applauding the stand that Stephen Harper is taking against the Bush administration’s over-reaching grabs at any part of the world they choose to infest with their definitions which apply to other peoples and countries, but not to the Bush cabal, and not to America as they see fit to remake it in some unrecognizable image of their own devising.
Time will tell, and rallying to support the Canadian interpretation of sovereignty seems like a sensible position for the American public, and a matter which is in our best interests in order to send a message to the Bush people that Americans still know right from wrong even if Bush doesn’t.
It is supremely gratifying that although Harper is a “conservative”, he is not a puppet, nor it seems, will he be a puppet of the Bush administration.
There are more than enough puppets loose in our world in these times.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Canada’s new leader takes on U.S. over Arctic
Harper to deploy icebreakers, build port; U.S. says waters belong to all
The Associated Press
Updated: 10:54 a.m. ET Jan. 27, 2006
TORONTO - Political pundits who declared that Stephen Harper, Canada’s next prime minister, would move quickly to patch up ties with the United States were having to regroup Friday after Harper used his first post-election press conference to tell the United States to mind its own business when it comes to territorial rights in the Arctic North.
Testing the notion that he would kowtow to the Bush administration, Harper, whose Conservative Party won general elections on Monday, said Thursday he would stand by a campaign pledge to increase Canada’s military presence in the Arctic and put three military icebreakers in the frigid waters of the Northwest Passage.
U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins had criticized the plan Wednesday, describing the Arctic passage as “neutral waters.”
“There’s no reason to create a problem that doesn’t exist,” Wilkins said during a panel discussion at the University of Western Ontario, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. “We don’t recognize Canada’s claims to those waters. Most other countries do not recognize their claim.”
Vow to ‘defend our sovereignty’No reporter brought up the ambassador’s views Thursday but Harper said at the end of his first formal news conference that he wanted to comment on them.
“The United States defends its sovereignty; the Canadian government will defend our sovereignty,” Harper said. “It is the Canadian people that we get our mandate from, not the ambassador of the United States.”
Harper’s surprising salvo was likely intended as a message to those in the Bush administration who might be cheering the election of a Conservative government and view Harper as a pushover when it comes to prickly U.S.-Canadian relations.
Arctic sovereignty has been a sensitive subject for decades, with U.S. Navy submarines and ships entering northern waters without asking permission. Ottawa has generally turned a blind eye to the United States’ sending ships through the area.
Canadian media reported last month that a U.S. nuclear submarine traveled secretly through Canadian Arctic waters in November on its way to the North Pole.
The Northwest Passage runs from the Atlantic through the Arctic to the Pacific.
More ships likelyGlobal warming is melting the passage — which is only navigable during a slim window in the summer — and exposing unexplored fishing stocks and an attractive shipping route. Commercial ships can shave off some 2,480 miles off the trip from Europe to Asia compared with the current routes through the Panama Canal.
Harper said during a campaign speech in December he would dramatically increase Canada’s military presence in the Arctic North. He intends to construct and deploy three new armed icebreaking ships and construct a $1.7 billion deep-water port and an underwater network of “listening posts.”
“The single most important duty of the federal government is to protect and defend our national sovereignty,” Harper said in that speech. “There are new and disturbing reports of American nuclear submarines passing though Canadian waters without obtaining the permission of, or even notifying, the Canadian government.”
Military action unclearHarper has not said whether he would order military action if the ships or port detected an unauthorized submarine in Arctic waters.
Harper, meanwhile, said he had a friendly conversation with President Bush on Wednesday but had not fixed a date for their first meeting. He said he had also received calls from other major allies, including Mexican President Vicente Fox, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Australian Prime Minister John Howard.
© 2006 The Associated Press.
posted by FancyRage at 12:44 PM
1 Comments:
Hey! I'm Canadian, 60, female. I'm not a conservative. I'm not anyman's bitch, but Mr. Harper is not a "running dog of US imperialism." The claim to soverignity is important because of the economic value of undersea oil and gas. There are environmental hazards to Arctic navigation. Mr.Bush and Mr.Harper will get along because of other important trade relations and other energy resources that Canada has. And fresh water. But sensible politics can be spoiled by stupidity and greed. If the US administration abuses its best friend and neighbour, its most important trading partner, the US people will not rally around the "Commander-in-Chief" but will march on Washington. The last time we were at war was 1812 (which you did not win) when your White House was burned by British troops (a reprisal for the burning of Toronto's Fort York.) Canadian sovereignty of the arctic is good for US business, too.
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