National Post: "[I[t is somewhat galling to hear Paul Martin and other Canadians brag about how our tsunami response serves to showcase "the Canadian way." While the United States and other Western nations were using their helicopters, planes, navies and other "hard power" assets to save lives, our cash-starved troops were cooling their heels in the departure lounge."
Surprisingly, the Coalition of the Actually-Own-Military-Stuff seem to be getting their due;
Mr. Annan praised the efforts of the so-called core group, the United States, Australia, India and Japan, as "absolutely crucial.""They have the logistical capability to be able to come in and ensure that, despite the lack of infrastructure and logistics, we will be able to get things [done]," he said. "And they helped with heavy equipment, they helped with the airport and now, of course with the helicopters and all other [things], they're also helping with distribution, getting the food to the needy. And they are working with the UN team and others, and the government."
Well, not so surprisingly. Translation: "Please don't fire me."
Iraqi officials have recently implicated more U.N. staffers in bribe taking during the oil-for-food program in a development that could dramatically escalate pressure on the world body.[...]
Investigators from the House International Relations Committee said several current and former officials in Iraq's Oil, Health and Transportation ministries have told them that U.N. staffers assigned to the "661 Committee" -- the U.N. Security Council group that oversaw sanctions and approved oil-for-food contracts -- regularly took bribes and kickbacks from suppliers of aid to Iraq during the program.
After all, where does one go after serving at the highest levels in the UN?
Well, if you're Maurice Strong, architect of Kyoto, one goes to China, one does - to save the environment through cheaper SUV's.
And the circle is unbroken;
Long before he found fame as a Canadian politician, Paul Martin went out and borrowed tens of millions of dollars to buy a company called Canada Steamship Lines (CSL). This was circa 1981, and there is no doubt that he already knew the influential Maurice Strong, of United Nations fame. It was Strong who hired Martin to be his personal assistant at Montreal's Power Corporation-even before he had left university and it was Strong, who later helped Martin get his stake in CSL.As the public record shows, Martin is still getting boosts for CSL from the scandal-ridden Canadian government.
Some CSL employees make as little as $2.20 an hour. Of course, they're Ukranians, sailing under foreign flags.
(Thanks to all who sent tips.)
Martin didn't need Strong's connections to Paul Desmarais.Sheesh, he's so well known in Montreal financial circles, and Desmarais is a huge Liberal anyway,plus there's the St Laurent/Pearson connection to his father.Desmarais saw an up and comer, and it's a shame how so many of the business elite are no more than European corporatists at heart.I'd never put Strong into a 'business elite' category,though.He just knows how to grease the wheels.In the fine tradition of Liberals everywhere.
I'm still waiting for Robert McClelland to post on how outraged he is over the treatment CSL employees receive at the hands of our PM's family.
*All* "western" shipping co's operate foreign flag (Liberia, Panama, Cyprus, Marshall Islands) with less costly foreign crews. (Some national flags have a secondary flag, I believe the Norwegians which allows them foreign crew, not officers)
It's an international business, they wouldn;t stay in business 15 minutes if they they had to reflag to US or Canada and pay Canadian/US crew rates.
The exception is in protected markets, like the cabotage (US to US ) trade in the US, Great Lakes, or in subsidized playing areas. Or in highly technical trades where crew cost is lessor factor - e.g. LNG carriers
Not that I approve of CSL, but the reflagging thing is a red herring. Everybody does it in the worldwide industry. See Canadian company "TK" based in Vancouver for instance of a successful world player in the petroleum shipping business.
( Actually, crew cost is only a really a serious factor in bad times, but shipping is highly cyclical.)