… for the thriving power-house of Portugal:
Inexplicably, there’ll be no seat on the United Nations Security Council for Canada, an historic slap in the face for a country doing more than its fair share in the UN-sanctioned Afghanistan conflict, with a long history of UN peacekeeping to its credit.
The measure of a nation is the enemies they make. If your enemies are slime, then maybe you’re on the right path (q.v. “Israel”).
Or as Steyn so eloquently put it, “a flag has to be worth burning”. We should wear our rejection by the Islamophilic kleptocrats of the UN as a badge of honour. If this is truly, as that idiot Martin argues, a reaction to Harper’s foreign policy, then I vote we give him a majority right now (and take away his chequebook – q.v. also $55B deficit…).
Davenport: “Had we won it, then surely the posts here would be along the lines of “Another brilliant display of statesmanship by Our Great Leader — so begins the Conservative-led reformation and rebirth of the UN.””
Uh no. I’ve been reading the comments on this site for a few years now and I can’t recall any poster ever supporting the current bureaucratic monstrosity that is the UN, let alone its reformation. Sounds like you don’t understand how us Conservative/Libertarians think, especially regarding unelected bureaucrats meddling in our affairs.
Davenport, I think you passed judgment on the commenters here before reading the comments. Most regulars here realize that the Harper government put some considerable effort into being selected for the Security Council seat, but we seriously wonder why.
Dave in Pha: “…scum and villainy”
batb: “…beyond reformation and rebirth”
ad: “..corrupt parasites..”; “..self-entitled bureaucrats..”.
All well said, and hardly examples of cheering Harper on to a Security Council seat.
*
“dolly says… if we were ever attacked
the UN would not send in the States”
two words, kiddo… darfur — rwanda.
i wouldn’t let the u.n. walk my dog.
*
Just out of curiosity…What was the last meaningful thing the UN security council accomplished?
Good news. Now, when are we going to pull out and take our money with us?
It’s perhaps a bit like when my mother in law throws a card party, and she forgets to invite me. I’m insulted, yet I’m not! Know what I mean!!
Davenport, it’s entirely within the realm of possibility that PMSH knew that Canada was very unlikely to get a seat on the Security Council but decided to lobby for it anyway: 1) just in case we did get it and could have some influence on this corrupt body or, 2) more likely (at least this is my hope), so that when Canada was rejected it would/will have a very good reason to tell the UN to go take a flying leap when it asks for Canada’s support in any future endeavours.
Do you have any political imagination at all, Davenport?
I didn’t think so.
Gee.
I’m truly crushed by this news.
What was it about again?
I forgot already.
per John Ivinson: “the advice from diplomats was to abandon the government’s signature foreign policy initiatives, in order to win the seat — criticize Israel, align more closely with China, sign onto multilateral climate change efforts and spread aid money thinner and further.”
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/10/12/john-ivison-canadas-un-failure-cannot-be-blamed-on-ignatieff/?
To sum up Ivison, its Harper’s fault for failing to throw Israel under the bus, for failing to bow & scrape to China etc.
This is a very good result.
Frankly I think the Liberal Party comes out looking the worst in this story.
Iggy, the world traveller and part-time Canadian and thoughtless leader of the Liberal party, clearly stated that Canada did not deserve the UN post.
After the loss, Paul Dewar of the Liberal Party gave a news conference attempting to blame the CPC for the loss.
Maybe Dewar and Iggy should get together sometime and decide if they are in the same political party or not.
They look like total fools in this one!
Which is nothing new for the Liberals.
Davenport: Where have you been? I’m sure that there are some Harper supporters in these parts but, they’re thin on the ground. Anyway, whether pro or anti Harper, most of us will agree that the UN is a blood sucking, posturing farce.
As a technical consultant to the UN off and on during a 20 year period, I had a ringside seat to view the progress of the internal rot. I would really love to see Canada bail out of that useless, corrupt, pitiful organization. That’s not bombast. I really mean it.
Don Martin is being deliberately obtuse in his column. Canada has a very clear foreign policy now. It’s to side clearly with the United States with respect to foreign involvements like Afghanistan where there is a clear mandate from an international organization such as the UN or NATO. And it’s not new.
He claims that “only the ambassadors know” why the Canadian bid was rejected. At least part of the answer is Israel. The Euros are not going to support a country that is in such support of Israel. They are not going to support a country that has made most of them look very weak with respect to Afghanistan. At least in spirit, most of them have violated their NATO commitments. So for at least all of these reasons, they are NOT going to support a nation that makes them all look so bad.
If what you say is true about Ivison’s comment, Ron, then it’s a very good thing we didn’t get the seat. Because that would have meant selling out on all those things.
Mr. Ignatieff’s intervention in Canada’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council was hypocritical and an insult to all Canadians. Did he think he would actually make political gains with his disingenuous commentary? Does he really think that Canadians will vote for someone who underhandedly champions the humiliation of our country? “We were disappointed”. Yeah. Sure you were Iggy.
Resign quickly while we have a legitimate excuse. Start a new organization: League of Democracies.
rockyt — Dewar is NDP.
While this is the sort of issue that parties will use to score points against one another, I am not sure that much is lost. I don’t think it is appropriate to modify policies you think are right just for the sake of getting a seat on the UN SC. I wonder if the fact that Harper is an independent thinker and inclined to push his views made Canada a less desirable participant than a country that could be better shaped to pursue the UN’s interests.
Ian Vaughan: I agree with you. The PM does not ever do anything without first thinking it through thoroughly. Why would he allow his Minister Peter Van Loan to announce the strengthening of trade with Israel – before the UN vote. He was well aware as to the prejudice this body subjects toward Israel Maybe this is just the outcome the PM wanted.
@ DAVENPORT
I will give you this ,i am not happy at all that harper was pushing to jump on the u.n. SC , and if he would have sucseeded you would have herd alot of people in here cursing harper for pandering. And possibly not holding him accountable …that i will give you.
However we not only did not join we were rejected and to me and many others that is great it put’s harper to the leftoid light “hey see i tried” and to the right wingers we are just happy we were rejected iti s that simple no one is lying or being biased i bet alot of people in here would have been upset at harper if we had gotten on and yes i find it disturbing that he was pushing to join .
but we didin’t so i am happy! aya harper govornemnt another failed policy that worked out wonderfully for you woot woot …now we need to maybe revisit the rioting one though!!
“Just out of curiosity…What was the last meaningful thing the UN security council accomplished?
Posted by: syncrodox at October 12, 2010 6:28 PM”
How about all those delicious halal snacks and non alchoholic beverages they have graciuously provided at their meetings?
Cannon definitely blew it when he derided and blamed Iggy as his first comment. As one commenter has said that gives Iggy far too much credit.
The focus should be on the demands by the UN to influence change to Canada’s foreign policy. BATB may be on to something. Did PMSH intend for this as a chance to hang the UN’s dirty underwear on the line?
Global News just had Stephen Lewis, whom they labeled and ex-Canadian diplomat say that this was a judgment against the government of Canada. Stephen Lewis! (condom promoter supreme)too bad his father didn’t use one.
Rejected by the UN – The world apparently wants less Canada.
Portu~who?
okey dokey…
Woe is me we lost a seat on the Security Council….wait a second…who gives a crap. As has been previously posted, when do we get to pull out completely and save untold billions on the bunch of loser bureaucraps we support. And maybe then the US will kick them all the hell out of NY.
larben…that reminds me of another UN policy )dirty laundry) that PMSH won’t back away from.
UN is pushing abortion in many countries, with former Liberal-connected Canadian NGO’s being their handmaids. Lewis had his hands in that too.
Again, what was PMSH thinking when he made this application?
The despots and dictators who are the UN are just pissed that Canada lead a walk out from Imadinnerjacket’s speech….among other things….
Bluetech – You are right, but it is possible that Harper sincerely wants to try and fix the UN, rather than walk away and leave Israel and good, decent people twisting in the wind. Could be too, that this is the alternate plan and a door to shut on spending or listening to the UN complain about
the fact that someone in Canada spanked their difficult child!
“But that’s cold comfort to a Harper government who thought it had strong foreign affairs credentials — and lost a global vote of confidence in its performance.”
Cept there was no global vote.
Gosh darn it!
We didn’t get endorsed by Kleptocrat Islame-o-dictator wacko lovin Euro-bureautards.
I’m all for pulling out of the UN right after we bug Turtle Bay and the surrounding 5 star hotels with spies, stoolies and bugs.
Put a critter cam on Maurice Strong with his next booster shot.
whys everbody talkin like this is a big deal or sumpin…?
like who gives a f#ck…the U>N> is corrupt to the core so who gives a f#ck..
this effort was a valiant effort to try and change the U>N> kultur but that ain’t happening so who like gives a f#ck…
you dudes are ready to start crying ferkrissakes..
To hell with the UN.
Perhaps, if Canada decides to leave the UN, we can become a little bit more independent. At least we don’t have to jump into every single “lost-cause-nation-building” quagmire the UN is renowned for expecting its most prosperous members to 1) pay for and 2) send soldiers to. As an earlier poster mentioned Canada can now thumb its nose to any UN directive that goes against its national goals. I’d suggest that every single Western nation should leave the UN and start a parallel organization of Western(ized), secular/Christian, democratically elected governments(no theocracies need apply). This would have a couple of immediate effects, the first one being that the UN would be out of money over night and the only countries that would be left are the dictatorships and theocracies.
I fail to see a down side on this event for PM Harper. If Canada gets a seat more prestige for Canada. Since Iffy stuck his foot in it Blame Iffy. Since Canada didn’t get a seat it plays to PM Harper’s base voters. WIN WIN WIN.
The UN is a joke and the only downside of this is that Harper wasted precious political capital on attempting to secure the seat.
.I’m sick and tired of our money being funneled into this rat-infested, thug-run, fleabag of an “organization” run by international dictators.
Now reconcile that view with the fact that PM Harper was at the UN as recently as a few weeks ago, campaigning hard for a seat on the Council.
Davenport
Canadian politicians always say that Canada do this or that in the UN, and Canada is active in this or that UN action. It’s a meme, a concept of Canada who is in UN and is doing this or that over there. It is just a habit which is difficult to break. It is quite natural to be accustomed to be someone (have a seat) in an organization even if that organization is rat-infested, and being run by dictators….run down, in fact.
So it may be that PM Harper was campaigning just out of habit and really wanted to get the seat. Or may be he did what he did intentionally and purposely blew it.
Your choice.
john in east van, help! at 7:43 PM, it already exists: Council for a Community of Democracies
Why should we be part of the Israel hating UN again?
The reasons have long escaped me. Best it moves to Iraq. Its an Islamic club house mostly these days anyway.
JMO
Why is it that a when a “team” that expects to win loses & casts about for reasons, they never get around to the possibility that the other team played a better game?
Apparently Portugal lobbied on the basis that it was a small country & would be a voice for small countries. [of which there are lots]
Canada passed around some of its stockpiles of maple syrup.
One other possible consideration — Gemany had been selected four times, Portugal twice & Canada six times.
Antenor
http://www.un.org/en/ga/president/bios/bio07.shtml
I am very proud that our PM stuck to his guns re: Israel and our support of Israel while campaigning for a seat on the UN thingie. I agree that PMSH and John Bolton turn the Un goofs into bewetters. It is really very funny in a 6 year old lads potty joke sort of way!
Dave in PA and Ron nailed the facts; very well, IMO.
The loss of that albatross around our collective necks is good news to my ears. Iggy should move back home and lobby for a nice comfy fur seat on Barry’s team at the UN.
“The only thing the UN does efficiently is large-scale graft and corruption”
You’re forgetting their world class programmes of rape and pedophilia that go unreported by the MSM. Lets give the Devil his due now.
“The [UN] observers had a logbook recording the assaults, bombings, and artillery attacks on the area. Each page was ruled in vertical columns: DATE, TIME, LOCATION, DAMAGE, CASUALTIES. The columns headed ACTION TAKEN BY THE UN were completely empty.”
– P.J. O’Rourke
Ed Broadbent commented that he felt we lost the bid due to our foriegn policy. He noted that Canada used to be inline with the “progressive” of the world. Well thankfully Harper is reversing that trend. So in the end i beleive it is a blessing in disguise. Harper was the only one to NOT condemn Isreal for defending itself against the Hamas led Palistine bombing a couple years ago. That really set the stage. Also, because we have’nt rolled over and bled our bank account to appease the AGW crowd ie: Kyoto that helped our ouster. All good news to me.
Who knows for sure whether Harper wanted this position or not. The bottom line is that the Euros didn’t particularly France and Germany. Germany is setting the agenda in Europe today and the focal point is relations with Russia. Portugal is a serf to this proccess. Germany is preparing to jettison the welfare bums of the EU and throw in with resource rich and cheap labour Russia. France is hanging on trying to create a role for themselves in the process. Canada with its outspoken leadership and strong financial position are an uncomfortable reminder of what was.
PS: For those not aware NATO is dead. The only adherents are previous eastern bloc countries who prize their freedom and the USA.
WHile I desire Canadian forces out of Afganistan I suspect they will stay as the Canadian military use this role to re-arm themselves. I don’t blame them I guess. IMO Canada’s over riding foreign policy should be securing our northern frontier.
The Canada we could have had:
If only we’d have voted for the Liberals in 08’
At the UN Canadian’s would have a different fate
A professor for PM and a new Carbon Tax
A UN security seat and a “thank-you” for the scratch
That’s the Canada we could have had
Backpacks and Man-purses and fashionable Hats
Indiana Homez, very good:)
tewchip, exactly.
Just saw the one-term former premier of Ontario, Bob Rae, on CTV, calling the Harper gov’t incompetent (re. losing the U.N. Security Council bid.) I remember what an ego he had when running for the Liberal leadership and what a sore loser he was, after Chretien’s *personal* choice didn’t win. Bob sulked. The Power Corporation shifted tactics.
Frankly, the U.N. protects and coddles thugs, and its leaders have the temerity to send investigators to the USA to see if there is ‘racism’ there, while it allows disgusting death threats and lowest-common-denominator insults to ring in U.N. chambers on behalf of freedom of speech.
Those leaders who hurl forth their invective at the U.N. would be charged with inciting hate crimes in Canada. So why are we part of it?
Check out Lorne Gunter’s article today in the National Post , Nothing to be ashamed of :
http://www.nationalpost.com/Nothing+ashamed/3661473/story.html
Pundits will moan that this is an international vote of no confidence in the Tories’ management of foreign affairs, a slap in the face to brave, plucky, multilateralist Canada who for years played the UN game of siding with despots and dictators, then sitting silently by while friends and allies were slagged, all in the hopes of winning the unofficial designation of “honest broker.”
But honest broker of what?
What’s weird, is that I read this article in the paper version of the National Post this morning, but when I tried to find it online, it didn’t seem to be included in Today’s Paper. I found it by doing a search on the National Post Web site, using the actual title. If I hadn’t had the title to do a search with, would I have found the article?
Weird.
It says a lot about Canada
What this vote say is that Canada currently can’t be bought, bullied or bribed, therefore of no use on the UNSC. Canada is being punished for not being a bully towards Israel and not supporting nutbar dictatorships. Having us on the UNSC might cause embarrassment as we point out their pointless diddling. Horrors, Canada might point out that the Kurds also deserve a homeland.
Here’s an email I sent to PM Harper:
Dear Sir
Thank You for your principled stand re Israel.
How about withdrawing completely from the UN?
It is a cesspool that Canada should avoid.
Imagine the headlines around the world if Canada pulled out!
It might start a trend.
How about a new organization? The AOD
The Alliance of Democracies.
The Muslim World need not apply.
How’s that crow tasting, Davenport?
Dumba$$.
Canada’s so-called slap in the face from the UN is analagous to a successful, law-abiding young man seeking membership in the Hell’s Angels and being rejected.
Was he rejected? Yes, most definitely.
Is it a bad thing? No!