133 Replies to “From The Leader Of The Free World”

  2. Good for PM Harper. Given the poor excuse for leadership south of the border with Obama and his sidekick Kerry, who looks clueless/stunned/gormless,we can be proud of our leadership here in Canada.

  3. The PM’s stance on Israel, Ukraine and other issues has elevated Canada to a new status on the world stage, unlike his predecessors Trudeau, Mulroney Chrétien and Martin. Lets not give Thomas (angry Bird Tom)or Justine (Shiny Pony) the opportunity to mess things up.

  5. I like that Harper is doing something, but I think on this he is misguided. The EU and Western push to pull away another bit of Russia is just a bit too far.

  7. FCUKIN EH!! love the harp man…now get rid of the light bulb ban, repeal bill c-68 and no more foreign aide and we are all good! oh and sort out the military thing we need a big military and we need to start doing our own r&d i don’t care about the cost.

  8. Don’t forget how self-righteous Western sentiments can be just wrong – look at Bosnia and Kosovo, where NATO facilitated the ethnic cleansing of Christian Serbs and established Muslim states.

  9. Again, Harper does the Canadian thing and stands up.
    Um, this is unrelated and probably nothing, but if the missing Malaysian 777 kept flying for several hours, it’s about 5-6 hours to Pakistan.
    Iranian air force general says ‘Our hands are on the trigger’ to destroy Israel
    http://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-general-our-hands-are-on-the-trigger-to-destroy-israel/
    I know, why would a country that hid Osama Bin Laden for a decade help Iran. I’m just paranoid.

  11. I don’t even bother to waste my time reading these pieces of vitriol which have no relationship with reality!

  12. Those Christian Serbs were killing Roman Catholic Croatian Christians too, Robert.

  13. John Baird has just promised $220 million in foreign aid to Ukraine, hopefully,Harper hasn’t heard about it.
    I hope we’re backing the “right” side this time.
    And yeah,I DO remember Kosovo,that’s what makes me nervous about the current situation in Ukraine. From what I’ve read in other Countries media, it’s hard to tell who the “good guys” are.
    Oh,and Justin WILL comment on this after he’s done his remedial spelling lessons.

  14. “Harper does the Canadian thing and stands up..”
    Best laugh I’ve had in a long time.

  16. I guess I would ask why bother? A photo op I guess. Neither the EU or the USA have really done anything to secure those Eastern Bloc countries for the inevitable Russian desire to re-establish their ‘buffer’ against the West. IMHO if it means nothing to the Euros to have done basic homework then why does Canada need to get involved? Euro politics is one step above that of the ME. Canada has a history of spending treasure and Canadian soldiers in an effort to bail Europe out. When will we realize they laugh behind our backs. Not one more Canadian dime should be spent in Europe or the ME. The money spent in Iraq, Afganistan and Libya should have been spent settling land claims in northern BC so that the Gateway Project could proceed.
    In geopolitical terms a continuation of deteriorating relations in eastern Europe is good for Canada’s oil industry. It makes obvious that secure oil production is worth supporting.
    PM Harper should stay home and have a fire side chat with Canadians. The chat should be a simple economics lesson about why less debt is good. Why promoting trade with Asia is the future. Why the Artic Canada means something and how we will defend it. Why unemployment is a farce in Canada and why all young Canadians should move West to secure their economic futures.

  17. Do not disagree, everyone was killing everyone else. So whty get involved?

  18. But not in Kosovo. In both conflicts, the muslims performed black ops to win NATO support.

  19. Robert in Ottawa…you express concern with the west pulling more pieces of the former USSR away from Russia. The west is not doing it. The countries and their peoples are running to the west just like the poor East Germans that braved a wall. How many of the former bloc nations have crawled back to Russia and its old ways? With the exception of Belarus (corrupt beyond belief, but aren’t they all?), not many. Russians think their sphere of influence is dying, but in reality, it is communism’s. Hell, even the Russians ran from it; so don’t be surprised if they have trouble selling everyone else on it. If the Russians wanted to exude more power in the region, they would stop the horrible regression they are on, and right their ship on a course for responsible representative government that champions freedom and the free market.

  20. Abbott, in Australia, is new to the scene, but he is of the same cloth as Harper. Keys in New Zealand is also good. Just need someone with a spine in the UK and for the US to wake up and the AngloSphere will be in good shape. Relatively speaking.

  21. Serbs were killing everyone who was not a Serb for years before they got a long overdue spanking. They provably would continue to this day had they not been neutered.
    And yes Billy BJ did all this because of Monica’s stained dress. Still free Croatia and Slovenia were in the long run worth it even if the price was the disaster called Kosovo. Coincidently it turned into a disaster under UN jurisdiction not NATO.

  22. Well, FWIW, it was a Ukrainian ex-pat would learned me the law of fences, in 1984 or so (highly ironic, really):
    “The USSR builds fences to keep people in; the USA builds fences to keep people out.”

  23. “The EU and Western push to pull away another bit of Russia is just a bit too far.”
    Ukraine is not a bit of Russia and is not for Russia to decide Ukraine’s fate. Stop thinking of Russia as some mysterious power with divine rights to keep her neighbours under her muddy boot. Anyone who is not Russian wants to stay away from Russia – that is called self-preservation.

  24. Godd on Harper for going to Ukraine! I might even forgive his closing of Veteran’s Affairs offices if this goes through.
    He should take about 300 Mounties with him, and send them into those eastern Ukrainian cities that the Russians claim are full of lawlessness to investigate. Being non-military, Putin wouldn’t be able to claim military/NATO intervention.
    (Based on my Poli-sci & Eastern European studies background) Russia, in its various forms under the Tsars and Commies, has had a dream about 400 years old, to create and lead a pan-slavic state. In my opinion, I think he will invade eastern Ukraine, regardless of what the west says or sanctions it threatens.

  25. What a bunch of meaningless bloviating. Harper wasn’t elected to ‘leader of the free world’ (whatever the hell that means) he was elected to PM of Canada and he’s only made Canada less free. His decision to throw 220 million dollars extorted from Canadians at Ukraine’s government is just another salvo in Harper’s fight against freedom. Hopefully he doesn’t do anything really stupid and actually stand up to the Russians because that would be war.

  26. get rid of the light bulb ban, repeal bill c-68
    The light bulb ban is only a problem for people who can’t work around it, smart people have easily sidestepped it. It’s not a serious issue.
    If they decriminalize firearm ownership they might have a shot at another government, if not, a minority govt is their best chance.

  27. Putin and Russia has only one leverage in this, gas supplies to the west. I wonder how much he has funded the Gore/Suzuki/Euro green movement to advance the scam and prevent them from having their own supplies. How much of this effort was economic, and how much was long term geopolitical strategy.

  28. Putinistan’s economy would collapse in weeks if he stopped exporting gas. He cannot do it any more than Saudis can stop exporting oil.

  29. I notice that the larger the Russian population, the lesser zeal thee is.
    The Russians have always insisted they are Western, which, in my opinion, they are, but the traditional West powers of France, Germany, England, etc. have always refused to accept. See Peter the Great. They fear the power of Russia, just as no-one fears the Power of Canada. Fools!
    Given that they are the ones who fought the Tartars, Mongols and Muslims, I think they have skin in the game and should be given some slack.

  30. If Canada stopped exporting raw resources tomorrow, we would be in the same mess.
    Come on, think rationally, do not emote.

  31. Well said @ 7:09.
    rmgk,” In my opinion, I think he will invade eastern Ukraine, regardless of what the west says or sanctions it threatens.” I agree. It is not for nothing that Russia has amassed 80,000 troops on the eastern Ukraine border, armour, artillery, and artillery, as well as taken over or surrounded 50 eastern border crossings.
    Robert, I read some of those comments on the Global facebook page, and am now sick to my stomach at the level of hatred.

  32. Would that also apply to the people of Crimea as well. Not according to John Kerry or Baird both who open stated they would not recognize the people of Crimea’s own self determination to have a referendum to join Russia. If Kerry and the government he represents does not believe in the right to liberty happiness and self determination, than I would say the people of the United States have more to fear from their own government than they would Putin. And our brave leader Harper is off to kiss the ring of an oligarch who was made the prime minister by illegal bloody coup initiated and supported by the US.. The same leader of the free world who with his tail between his legs went crying to the Governor General when Layton and Steppie Dion tried to stage their own coup and form a government. I have in this last few week lost so much respect for this man in the last few weeks and a lot for you as well Kate for not seeing through for what is happening.

  33. “The light bulb ban is only a problem for people who can’t work around it, smart people have easily sidestepped it. It’s not a serious issue.”
    It is a serious issue. I may have a stockpile of traditional lightbulbs that will last me decades. It still is a serious issue. It reflects how government bureaucracy views the populace and that in itself is much more important than an admittedly minor inconvenience that the ban imposes.

  34. I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Every Day
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJt4y4fH938&list=PL521C0E657B99A9A6
    I have acres of land
    I have men at command
    I have always a shilling to spare
    So be easy and free
    when you’re drinking with me
    I’m a man you don’t meet every day
    Cheers
    Hans Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
    1st Saint Nicolaas Army
    Army Group “True North”
    http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2014-03-14/all-you-need-know-about-ukraine
    “It is about the Russian pipeline network that feeds Europe, plain and simple. Ukraine is, as you can see, a pretty damn important piece in the Russian energy distribution network.
    This has nothing to do with Russians in Ukraine. “Brother Vlad” would gun those “countrymen” down in a heartbeat if they threatened his pipelines. He’d then return to his morning tea without a second thought. “Pass the toast Alina.” This isn’t a cultural issue, it’s a matter of ECONOMICS, POWER AND POLITICS.”

  35. Canada made a ‘fateful’ decision to support Kosovo, and will reap the benefits of that with Quebec.
    I can’t support Harper. I can’t. Ukraine is NOT our problem. The corruption in the Ukraine opposition is bad enough to make me question their reliability. To call Putin a Nazis – as Harper did – was bad diplomacy, and an insult that will be rewarded down the road.
    It’s 1935 all over again. This time, we will lose.

  36. As good a time as any to post the Top 7 Myths about Ukraine firmly embedded in the Russian (ed: and uninformed western) consciousness

    In the midst of the information war, it may sometimes be difficult to distinguish real news from the propaganda scares. Numerous myths about Ukraine that are firmly embedded in the Russians’ consciousness are currently being used as a justification for military intervention in Crimea. The following analysis reviews seven of the most prominent myths.

    …

    Myth No. 5. The revolution threatens Russian interests

    The revolutionary events in Ukraine, as we know, began with Yanukovych’s refusal to sign an Association Agreement with the EU. According to a popular misconception, Putin was able to pressure Yanukovych at that time under the pretext that this Agreement would have prevented Ukraine from entering the Customs Union. In reality, there is no contradiction there. For example, Israel, which has had an Association Agreement with the EU since 2000, has recently sought membership in the Customs Union.

    Similarly, there has been no threat to the Russian military bases in Crimea. Ukraine’s new authorities have committed to comply with all current international treaties (including those related to the Russian bases).

    Thus, even assuming the Ukrainian revolution poses any sort of threat to the interests of Russian government, such threat is no greater than any other clear example of how society can take power into its own hands.

  37. Bad move Steve, you don’t want to be remembered as the first western leader to recognize the nationalist socialist (fascist?) regime which overthrew an elected government. Gotta bad feeling about this “interim” government. I’ll withold the cheerleading until the Ukrainian people have chosen who they want to associate with in an intimidation-free election.
    The pressure is way to high now to be increasing it by encouraging armed usurpers as Russia feels its access to Sovestopol port is threatened – not to mention the Russian gas pipelines in the Ukraine which supply its biggest customers. Russia will NOT negotiate on those issues. Harper visiting the userper government ups the pressure at a time when we need to have al side stand down from def=con red – very poor judgement IMHO.

  38. exactly !!! Canada shouldn’t meddle in the affairs of other countries. We wouldn’t like them doing it to us would we?

  39. @rmgk
    “He should take about 300 Mounties with him,”
    Putin would love it than he wouldn’t have to send his own troops to kick doors in and confiscate the guns of the public that don’t agree with his policies.

  40. That would be..
    Myth No. 2. The revolution in Ukraine is run by right-wing radicals:
    Out of all the political leaders who came to power following the revolution (Klitschko, Tymoshenko, Yatsenyuk, Turchynov, Tiahnybok, and Poroshenko), only Tiahnybok can be more or less regarded as a radical nationalist. Yet, Tiahnybok’s electoral rankings are below those of the other leaders. It does appear that the main candidates for the President’s office will include Vitali Klitschko (who speaks Russian, rather than Ukrainian, even during rallies), Yulia Tymoshenko (who is more readily identified as leftist, rather than rightist), and Petro Poroshenko (who held the Minister of Economy post in Yanukovych’s government, and has not shown any radical rightist tendencies).
    Indeed, the revolutionaries’ “combat wing” did include quite a few nationalists, including, for example, the Right Sector leader, Dmytro Yarosh. Yet, first of all, Yarosh is not as radical in his views as he is said to be (e.g., the “appeal to Doc Umarov” on his behalf turned out to be a fake), and, secondly, he is currently not considered as a candidate for any government posts. [Editor’s note: Yarosh announced he was running for president 4 days after this article was written. Advanced polls show him rating at 1.6% of votes]. The only truly radical nationalist that comes to mind is Oleksandr Muzychko, but he already enjoys an image of a nutcase among Ukrainians, and even the Parliament members themselves are trying to rein him in (it appears this is going to happen soon).
    Russian mass media have also actively promoted the use of certain photos that depict mask-wearing youngsters carrying firearms attacking police officers. It was reported that they have arrived from Lviv by buses (indeed, one of the buses pictured has “Lviv” written on it). However, the license plates are, for some odd reason, from Crimea. Later on, a Forbes journalist discovered that same bus in Crimea, as it was being used by the locals to transport “volunteers.”
    It is worth pointing out that nationalists are more significantly represented in the Russian government. For example, nationalist Dmitry Rogozin rose through the ranks all the way to the Deputy Prime Minister level. His former comrade from the nationalist “Motherland” party, Sergey Glazyev, has become Putin’s advisor and, reportedly, one of the most active supporters of incursion into Ukraine. Both Glazyev and Rogozin are memorable for their election campaign commercials, in which visitors are compared with the “mud” from which it is necessary “to clean” Moscow.

  41. Don’t you have something important to be concerned about?
    A government has to represent all Canadians, not just your viewpoint.
    The light bulb thing was an ineffective gesture to placate the greenies.
    You got around it, as did all other intelligent people.

  42. “Don’t you have something important to be concerned about?”
    It is important that government is limited in their ability to decide what I can consume. It is a fundamental issue and hence it is important as a matter of principle.
    “A government has to represent all Canadians, not just your viewpoint.”
    Typically I suggest that people who try to argue by stating platitudes go piss on a live electrical wire.
    Instead, this time, I will point out the obvious. That is, that this ban has nothing to do with representing anyone’s views. It is has everything to do with restricting people’s freedoms. If one’s view is that they want LEDs or CFLs they can buy them. If government wanted to represent everyone’s viewpoints then people who want to continue buying incandescent bulbs would too be free to do so as well.

  43. Learned arguments can be made on either side of this issue but, in the end, in doesn’t matter. Russia will not tolerate any threat to the home of the Black Sea fleet nor will they tolerate any political foes on their border. In this case, as in all cases, might makes right and Putin has all the power in this theater. After all the political bluster has ceased, accommodations will be made and ten years from now, nay: five years, it will be as if it never happened.

  44. Fortunately, Canada has a wet noodle instead of a big stick with which to intimidate anyone involved in the Ukraine and other than a premature goodwill tour, his visit shouldn’t be much cause for concern.
    If we had a some major LNG and pipeline infrastructure at tidewater, then we could stand to benefit from potential disruptions to Russian gas pipelines.

  46. You’re wasting time. Putinista useful idiots will not listen.
    Putin’s maskirovka feeds right into their perceived view of Russia being not that bad and really a necessary ballancer against evil western imperialism. It is primarily their resentment towards western culture that fuels all those pseudo intellectual Poulian arguments.

  47. “Hopefully he doesn’t do anything really stupid and actually stand up to the Russians because that would be war.”
    Go to hell! The russkies and yankees can kiss our ass.

  48. Spinal Tap you’re right on. Harper should keep his face out of the Ukraine. It’s none of his damn business. With his record of not acting on serious issues here at home, there isn’t much chance he is going to do anything other than a photo op.

  49. It is not that they are trying to re-build an empire. russia is internally collapsing. Demographics work against russia. They are drinking themselves to death and dying en masse of diseases that have long become trivial in the civilized world. They are sitting on a demographic time bomb. The life expectancy between men and women is extreme. A proportion of muslims among russian army conscripts is already close to 30%. Putin realizes that unless he can find external enemy to mobilize the society against things will fall apart in a few decades, maybe sooner. Hence the rise of Putinjugend aka NASHI and increasingly aggressive foreign policy. He is simply trying to export internal problems.

  50. You’re darn right. It’s all about government control. What’s the difference if I burn incandescents and turn them off when not needed verses burning CFLs (toxic twisters) and leaving them on all the time? I’m the one who pays the power bill and it’s no darn business of the government as to how I use my power.

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