Matt Labash;
These days, Canadian publications are chockablock with surveys showing that Canadians see themselves as something akin to a superior race. The prime ministers of what was once a reliable ally that ponied up in times of war have treated us like traffic-light squeegee-men when we’ve stopped at their corner, asking for assistance with our latest military adventure. They have spurned our missile-defense shield out of spite, even knowing it would save their Canadian bacon. Their legislators have publicly called us “bastards” and stomped on our president in effigy. Their citizens have booed our children at peewee hockey games.
Being bloodthirsty Americans, we have naturally fired a few warning volleys in lieu of slapping them with a restraining order. A few years ago, my friend Jonah Goldberg from National Review wrote a piece elegantly titled “Bomb Canada,” encouraging us to smack Soviet Canuckistan, as Pat Buchanan calls it, “out of its shame-spiral” since “that’s what big brothers do.” Canadians responded as Canadians always will when faced with overt aggression. They wrote inordinate numbers of letters of concern, exercising what Canadian writer Douglas Coupland calls their “almost universal editorial-page need to make disapproving clucks.”
[…]
So I spent three days on Nexis kicking up every comparison-survey and statistic I could find on American/Canadian values. I became so gripped with the subject I could have been mistaken for a Canadian.
This unscientific research quickly confirmed that Canadians are bizarrely obsessed with us, binge-eating out of our cultural trough, then pretending it tastes bad. Plainly the two things Canada needs most are a mirror and a good psychiatrist.
I’m looking forward to the day when the new and democratic government of Iraq asks Canada in general and Joe Green in particular “Why didn’t you help us?”
The Iraqis aren’t stupid, they can figure out why countries that didn’t help acted the way they did so I doubt they’ll bother asking. The question is, will that change anything? If I were them france for example wouldn’t exactly get on their most favored nations trade list.
Crazy Joe is feeling marginalized and oppressed. Now he knows what it’s like to be a westerner and live in a land of eastern lunatics.
Joe, you certainly made my day.
Please come around again some time.
How’s the musket?
Ruben wrote:
“I’m looking forward to the day when the new and democratic government of Iraq asks Canada in general and Joe Green in particular “Why didn’t you help us?””
Canadians will answer “we tried to stop the carnage, but the Americans and the British would not listen. We tried to give the United Nations Weapons inspectors more time to prevent the war, but the Great Satan in the White House was intent upon war.”
“Canadians regret that we failed to prevent the deaths of over 98,000 Iraqi civilians, women and children. We regret that we failed to prevent the genocide in Rwanda when American meddling through the CIA at the United Nations prevented General Romeo Dellaire from obtaining the resources and the troops he needed to stop the killing.”
“We tried, and we will try again and again until the scourge of war is no more.”
That would be my answer for Canadians.
Joe,
Again you try to propagate a total LIE:
“Canadians regret that we failed to prevent the deaths of over 98,000 Iraqi civilians, women and children.
Your quoting the linford report from doctors without borders, which they admitted they guessed at to release it before the us election.
The last estimate for BOTH iraq wars is approx. 17000 you bonehead.
AGAIN, seek help for your pathalogical lying.
ET wrote:
“I consider it extremely offensive for you to equate Americans with Hitler’s regime. More fiction.”
Can you not read? I did not equate Americans with Hitler’s regime, I equated the Bush Administration to Hitler’s Regime. Please, for once ET, be accurate.
I made the comparisons about Hitler’s lies for his invasion of Czechslovakia to Bush’s lies for his invasion of Iraq.
What part of that do you fail to understand???
Genuine democracies do not start wars and they do not wage wars on a mountain of lies.
Churchill didn’t and neither did Roosevelt and neither did Truman. No Canadian Prime Minister ever did. This current regime in Washington does not hold a candle to these historical leaders, in fact its akin to Richard Nixon, his sex, lies and video tapes.
Do you remember that little shit that Nixon hired to discredit John Kerry during the Viet Nam War? You should introduce him to Rob, maybe they can get married before its too late.
Heavens man, can you not think for yourself down there, do Canadians have to show you EVERYTHING???
Joe,
Your so anti-American it’s pathetic. I’ve seen some of your posts on the eastern sites and your a total dick. So now you’ve been labeled a lying dick…
Joe Green, like all lefties in Canada, suffers from the classic little dog syndrome. To be heard, little dogs bark up a storm in a shrill voice, spewing bravado, believing everything that comes out of their mouths. Yet underneath it all is the chief lie on which other lies are built – they are afterall little dogs that believe they are big.
Here’s a suggestion Joe: Read Mark Steyn’s article, ‘The Power behind the thrones.’ If you do you’ll find out the real reason why Canada stayed out of Iraq. Unfortunately, you’ll also be forced to confront the truth about yourself and your beliefs.
The only thing more tiresome than Canadian passive-aggressive anti-Americanism, is the patronizing, selective quoting, ‘we’re bigger than you’ ranting American anti-Canadianism. Surely to God there is enough room in North America for two INDEPENDENT countries proud of their own damn selves without the seeming need to belittle the other. If we couldn’t live in our own countries wouldn’t we choose the other?
“We’re bigger than you”????
Where have you heard that? For the most part, the US has ignored Canada, or looked upon us as a place where bad weather comes from.
That’s not the “rant” that’s underway at the moment – it’s “How DARE you sanctimonious little leeches criticize the very people who have paid for your national defense for the past 30 years”
That, or ridicule for our neglect of same. Both are deserved.
@ cynical joe
Basically, I agree with your observations and pleas of frustration. Either fortunately or unfortunately, until recently most Americans gave scant thought to Canada, if they thought of it at all. Now things are different, and Canada has placed itself, through the foolishness of a very vocal and influential minority, into a position where it is most certainly noticed by Americans, but, rightly or wrongly, more and more Americans have placed Canada into a status that could be deemed “The Venezuala of the North”. The reasons behind Canadian hectoring of the US are not known by many Americans. Items such as Upper Canada vs Lower Canada, Plains of Abraham, United Empire Loyalist resentments and traditional suck-ups to Europeans (aka, We’re the GOOD people of North America), Quebecois threats to break the place up, an unwillingness to let Trudeupia go, a tragic nationalism primarily based on an inferiority complex, and the plain old power/money hunger of well entrenched interests and their minions of Grits all come to mind. Despite all this explanation and more, it must be noted that alienating your largest business partner when your economy needs all the help it can get is the height of folly. Americans know much more about Canada now, but the thoughts are increasingly bad. Fellows like Joe Green are no different than any other “One World Leftist” that refuses to realize his or her beliefs are the moldering remnants of a failed ideology. One that is now increasingly being rejected by societies that have actually seen that failed ideology’s true horrors.
I’ll close with one more anaecdote. A Canadian friend once incredulously stated to me, “Do you know that Americans own 65% of the Canadian economy?” To which I replied, “Who sold it to them? Martians?”
Why is all the American bashing a knee jerk sickness that demonstrates Canadian perfidy, but Canadian bashing is always rightous and deserved from an agrieved America? Listen I had some problems with Iraq, but I thought on balance, an invasion was justified; but not the way Bush did it, (WMD for instance) I certainly thought Canada could have and should have contributed to the effort, but I have to admit that the majority of Canadians did not agree with me, and the decision to not participate in the invasion was political reality. Of course all the other anti-american crap about ‘morons’ and ‘bastards’ was inexcusable and for the most part those rude creeps were punished, (though not soon enough or severely enough, but let’s not go over all that again). But I’m curious as to why a SINGLE decision not to follow along with America has roused such ire. If we are two independent countries wouldn’t it be inevitable that eventually our foreign policies might clash? I don’t think even the Bush administration thinks that Canada is going to nod along with every single decision an American administration makes, jeez 49% of America doesn’t agree with every Administration decision. If every time Canada disagrees with America we’re going to be hectored about what ingrates we are, is it any wonder that Canadians develop some sensitivites. I couldn’t care less if Americans know who the PM is or the name of Canada’s capital city, I’d just like them to realize that Canada has an internal domestic politics too, and similarly not everyone in the country agrees with the government’s official position. Is that too nuanced?
Rob wrote:
“Your quoting the linford report from doctors without borders, which they admitted they guessed at to release it before the us election.”
I was quoting the Lancet Study, which is a respected British Medical Journal. The study estimated that the Iraqi civilian population suffered between 10,000 and 200,000 dead civilians, women and children with the likely figure at 98,000 due mostly to American bombing and bombardment.
For a good discussion, visit:
http://www.chicagoboyz.net/archives/002543.html
cynical joe wrote:
“Listen I had some problems with Iraq, but I thought on balance, an invasion was justified; but not the way Bush did it, (WMD for instance)”
I agree with you.
Had the Bush and Blair Administration been less hysterical, and had they proceeded in an orderly way to have Saddam Hussein declared a “criminal government” and that the “blue berets” were going to invade and remove him from power, and put him on trial beside Mr. Milosevic in The Hague, most Canadians would have been in full support. Had we done that properly, Al Quada would not have grown from 5,000 terrorists training in Afghanistan to over 200,000 today that have created an “insurgency” and “civil war” inside Iraq today.
And most importantly, had the US listened to its friends and allies more carefully, it would not now find itself dangerously off balance as it squares off against North Korea and Communist China both flexing their muscles against the fragile democracies of Japan and Taiwan. Today the US has tied up over 150,000 combat troops in Iraq, along with another 40,000 from Britain, and between these two NATO countries alone, another 190,000 troops and military personal are in the logistical backup chain of command supporting them.
Nor would have Australians been as strategically exposed as they are today.
But what do I know? I’m “anti-American”, right???
And conniving lunatics like Paul Wolfwitz and Richard Perle are going to pull a rabbit out of a hat and fix everything.
Joe wrote,
I was quoting the Lancet Study, which is a respected British Medical Journal. The study estimated that the Iraqi civilian population suffered between 10,000 and 200,000 dead civilians, women and children with the likely figure at 98,000 due mostly to American bombing and bombardment.
Doesn’t matter now, you just admitted it was a guess. The actual, and more accurate estimate, of 15-17K also includes all the so called civilians with GUNS in there HANDS.
Gee Joe,
I even over estimated:
http://www.iraqbodycount.net/database/
I believe Lancet said between 2,000 and 200,000 then they split the difference to come up with 98,000 – obviously math isn’t their strong suit (which the press magically transformed into “over 100,000” – a nice round number anyway that sticks in people’s heads).
IBC doesn’t seem to be terribly pro war but even they say the max is something like 18,000 (I’m rounding up I think).
Well, considering Saddam was murdering something like 700 people a day*, that means the Iraqi people come out ahead after less than a month – and for a change, some of the people doing the dying were the bad guys.
*I’ve seen numbers as low as 200, I’ve seen them as high as a thousand, 700 is the most reported average I’ve seen – if you prefer 200 or a thousand, do the math, they’re still ahead.
Agreed Jay,
Also the U.S. has gone out of it’s way to try and avoid casulties. In most places they even allow the civilians to leave before going in.
I can’t remember if there has actually been a war with a lower civilian body count.
The IBC is an anti war site, but at least there being logical about the process.
I’ve heard it referred to as “the most humane war in history”. The problem is when it’s taken as a given. The press keeps referring to every civilian dead as a tragedy, every enemy soldier killed when he didn’t (possibly) have to be an act of murder.
The press isn’t keeping anything in perspective – millions of innocent people died in WWII and they never reported them as tragedies, it was just recognized as a necessary evil.
If we end up going to war with China, that won’t be possible – we’re talking about maybe a million dead at a time. The press of course will complain we aren’t fighting such a humane war as we did in Iraq, which was “the fourth largest army in the world”. Yeah, but it’s a mighty big drop after #3 or so.
It might help if the BMD system managed to miss an incoming and Hollyweird got it.
I know, MSM, and a few others, really spun this one out of control taking advantage of the rapid communication era. Problem is most of us now the truth(notice I said most).
Definitely the most humane, you guys have been to nice about it.
Before the BMD hit’s Hollyweird, can you make the first one hit Ottawa. I want to see if they ask permission… 😉 .. ….hehe …the devil mad me say it..
Oh, I’m sure that since the decision was all left in our hands that wouldn’t be a problem. Depending on where you live you might want to move a bit westward tho. Alberta? Hey, we gotcha covered.
Okay tho, that brings up a question – from what I read (and limited experience) Alberta is a normal place, “the west” is normal, but what’s the “red state” line really include? Is that just Alberta and BC or does that include Sask? Manitoba?
And I sort of assume your west coast isn’t anything like ours.
Red States here are Alberta and Sask.. Manitoba is locking forward to a lot of Carbon tax credits for wind energy, so there trying to get close to the libs.. B.C. is fairly left of center with a lot of tree hugers and is an experimental station for drugs.
Not nice statements, but that’s how we see it in Alberta, were I am… 🙂
Okay, Alberta and Sask – I’ll keep that in mind assuming the president calls to consult with me about incoming missiles (okay, maybe a ridiculous idea but no more ridiculous than – well, you know).
BC has the “Left Coast” title hanging on it and it mostly just applies to the Greater Vancouver area and Vancouver Island. The rest of the province is what I would describe as “redneck Union” – pro-union but they enjoy cutting down trees (which brings them a paycheque). Sask is divided like the US, lots of lefties and lots of conservatives with not much middle ground. Manitoba also seems to be like that due to significant pork-barrelling by the feds.
I’m an American who pays attention to Canada, in all its aspects. I have Canadian forebears and Canadian friends, plus I’ve spent some very good times up there. I may be mistaken, but I believe the Maritime Provinces are as unique a group as the western ones. It seems to me that they tend to be fearful of Quebec and resentful of Ontario. Is this true? Part of my mother’s family are UEL folks that wised up and came back to the Great Satan from Nova Scotia many years ago.
Jeff,
That used to be true, they were just as bad as us, if you want to look at ua as bad. Then the Feds started doing a lot of patronage, transfered the air base out of Edmonton to there, started pouring money into the region to gain votes, and now the’ve shifted left quite a bit.
There is still a lot that are conservative, but now they see a cash cow coming with Carbon taxes from Kyoto, so there shifting a bit more.
There’s a heavy push there to get into alternate energy.
Hey Rob,
Thanks for the info. With folks like you, Kate, and quite a few others, Canada should make out OK, at least until the prairie people decide enough is enough. The Liberal’s house of cards can’t stay up forever (I hope).
I guess I should explain it a little better.
A long time ago the gov here created what’s called transfer payments, were the have prov. give to the have not prov., which is ok, but what it’s done is create an air of dependency. The feds seen this and by slowly increasing the transfers and at the same time increase immigration with the implant in the newcomers that is they didn’t vote for the existing gov., the incoming power would send them home. So they were able to effectively buy votes from both sides.
No one thought much about it until Truedau got in, and then hammered Alberta with the National Energy Program. We wouldn’t give in to handing over resource revenue, so he said if we didn’t he would destroy us, and he did.
We finally got it out and are now back to normal and the existing gov(same liberal idiots), want to do it again).
I mentioned dependency in the beginning, well now a lot of the country has come to rely on that dependency, and will side with the feds on every issue in fear that they might loss it. The feds learned this also works with corporations etc. so kept it going, thus CBC and others will defend the feds to the death. With the left leaning libs creating more and more dependency, were slowly sinking into communism.
In Alberta we don’t like to be dependent on anyone, kind of the red neck cowboy alone on the range, and when you try to force us to be dependent… well partner we get our fur up…. 😉
A poll taken a year or so ago showed that of all the provinces, Saskatchewan had the highest percentage who favoured joining the US. That wasn’t widely reported.
Hmmm, shame there isn’t one of those red state/blue state county by county things up there (at least as far as I know). Uh – do you even have counties?
PS: What was the percentage?
Kate,
Your right, we never heard a word about it here in AB. I never heard nothing about it until last weekend on the radio when Warren was on. AB and Sask. should join forces on that.
On a separate note, the PM was here yesterday and they never had a word about it on TV. He wanted to meet with Klein, but he told the PM to forget it. He’s kind of upset about the 3 elected senaters that won’t get there positions, and the rejection of the health care proposal with no alternate solution or money to solve the problem.
I honestly forget the exact percentage, but something tells me it was in the 20% range.
Well, I’ve said it before, and now I can see I need to include Saskatchewan.
Alberta and Saskatchewan, if you ever decide to pull the rip cord, we’ll buy the beer.
Greg outside of Dallas wrote:
“Alberta and Saskatchewan, if you ever decide to pull the rip cord, we’ll buy the beer.”
No thank you. I don’t like American beer anymore than I like American Foreign Policy.
But Kate might like it. Her friend Grant Devine and his cabinet swear by it.
Don’t know about her miniature poodle though. Ezra Lavant loves to lick all sorts of fire hydrants.
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