Dear Sid and Dana
Re: your stance on selling/delivering to Canadians
There is a large difference between what a group of politicians say and
do, and what the people of the country they purport to represent say and do.
The current situation was not an aspect of the election that put the current
crop of idiots (back) into power in Ottawa - but it seems that it is only
under pressure that they have completely cracked up and the next time we get
an opportunity we'll undoubtedly turf them out. The point is that, unlike
Iraq, we here in Canada are in fact a democracy; admittedly not identical to
the U.S., but a democracy none the less.
There may be many reasons that Canada's politicians might have for not
endorsing the current fray. That doesn't mean that Canadians in general don't
support the US - it just means we don't get a say in the matter until the
next election.
Some things you might take into consideration:
While I am not a history student, I do recall that, at a time when both
Britain and Canada (as well as a number of other countries) were embroiled
in war, the U.S. took over 2 years to officially get into the fray. The
Second World War was not a pretty time. I'm fortunate that my father
survived it after spending much of it in Canadian Corvettes protecting
convoys on the North Sea.
On the other hand, I understand that there were a number of companies in
the US that bent over backwards (with the tacit approval of the US
Government) to aid the allies despite not actually being part of the
conflict officially.
I note that even Canada took something on the order of 20 days to
officially decide to back Great Britain in WWII - an exercise of our
relatively newly acquired official untying of the apron strings as an
country independent of mother Britain.
I know there are companies here in Canada that are directly involved in
supplying the US with items used in the war - and not all are just
subsidiaries of US companies either!
I make absolutely no excuses for our current Prime Minister - personally I
think he has been in power far too long, and at times I'm envious of the US's
policy of not allowing the President to serve more than 2 consecutive terms
or 3 terms total.
I also make no excuse for our current crop of politicians. I do apologize
for their bad manners - you can rest assured that I am telling them that I
not only expect better of them, I expect them to bend over backward to
apologize to the American people.
The following is my reply to david when I got his message yesterday
Personally I think that, even though our (Eastern elected
and idiotic)
government certainly has the right (and the US has provided the example by
taking a couple of years to enter WWII) to either wait or in fact not
participate - the fact is that the public denigration of either the US
President or their country as a whole by our elected representatives makes
me ashamed - not of being Canadian, but of not actively opposing them prior
to this when I knew in my heart and head that they were uncultured idiots
undeserving of public office no matter what party or principles they
represent.
The US president may have a lot of power. It is a toss-up whether the PM of
Canada currently has more (in relation to the size of the country) but that
is beside the point - the US president _cannot_ rule more than 12 years out
of 16 by their laws and no more than 2 consecutive terms in any case. Here
in Canada we seem to have acquired a leader who, while maybe a bit more
ethical than Hussein, could just as easily continue to lead for every bit as
long as Saddam has without us actually rising up in arms to get rid of him.
Personally I'll take the US method any day.
It is certainly your right to determine who and where you will sell to. I
just hope you will recognize that not all Canadians are as stupid and ill
mannered as it appears some of our politicians are, and that, while Canada
may not be an up-front supporter of America in this current conflict _yet_ -
there is a majority of Canadians (last poll was over 65%) that support the
US. The problem is that we don't get to vote directly on such a course, we
have to wait for the next election to throw the idiots out.
The above can likely be applied to citizens of the other
"prohibited" countries on your list too - and I'd bet that you can
even find people in Iraq that are on your side.
Note that there are also 31 Canadian Armed Forces personnel (on exchange
programs) who are currently participating in the conflict in Iraq.
There are large numbers of Canadians who think that the current government's
stance on our military in general and the support and cooperation with the US
in particular is just not good enough. We also think that the rules of
engagement have changed dramatically in the days of terrorism.
My personal opinion of the current conflict is one of support in general. I
actually don't understand why Hussein was not eliminated in 1991 but then I
don't deal well with politics (I'm allergic to politicians - I break out in
shouting)
The U.S. is "interesting" to have as a neighbour. On the one
hand, I have many friends there and have spent quite a bit of time working,
playing, talking, visiting and just being with Americans over my life - both
in the US and here in Canada. As individuals I find no fault.
On the other hand, there are some things about some aspects of America
that I find fault with - and that for some reason or other, others in this
world also find fault with. If I had to put it in one phrase, I'd likely say
that it is the concept of "Our way at any cost" is the problem.
In general I also find no fault with your political system - as noted above,
I actually envy it in some respects.
If I have any concerns about the US or any aspect of it, it is that aspect
which you are exhibiting in your current stance against dealing with
Canadians - one of intolerance towards differing opinions despite your own
defense of a bill of rights many people can only envy.
By all means, let us know as a group you disapprove of our country's
actions. But remember that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
America will win more friends and converts by recognizing other people have
the right to be different and working to live with those differences instead
of pushing them to adopt overnight "the American Way". Time is on
your side, but time is measured in units other than seconds, minutes, hours -
it is also measured in generations; and it will take generations to allow
others to adapt to and adopt your ways or even move substantially in their
direction. It took thousands of generations for the rest of the world to get
where it is - America is a new kid on the block relatively speaking. Please
accept that there is a thing called "cultural inertia" and try to
work within it.
Please also accept that even if Canada had exactly the same political
system, value system, rights and aspirations as Americans and the USA
currently have, it would still be possible for Canada's government to do what
it has just done. In fact, given the differences between the governments of
the past in the USA and the government of the present, it would be possible
for the USA to be the one who (again) held back while the rest of the world
went to war.
I defend your right to have your opinion, even though I don't agree with
it, and will fight beside you to maintain that right for both you and for me
(and our respective peoples). All I expect in return is the same defense and
understanding.
richard
