posted on December 16, 2005 12:16:16 PM
Paul Martin, our Prime Minister, has spoken out many times against the Bush administration and its handling of the Iraq war and the U.S. attitude on torture and the incarceration of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, etc.
Now I hear Bush has issued a warning to Paul Martin to not put down the Bush government or there will be consequences for Canada.
posted on December 16, 2005 12:18:23 PM
So, what, we're going to invade Canada? LOL! What a hoot. If Bush can't take criticism, he's in the wrong business.
Cheryl
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
posted on December 16, 2005 12:44:22 PM
They forget many things like that, bear. Like their lack of a sufficient military to protect themselves too.
It's election time there....maybe the Bush administration is making a point with him....just as some leaders in Canada tried to do against Bush when he was running in 2004???
Wednesday, December 14, 2005 Posted: 2138 GMT (0538 HKT)
RICHMOND, British Columbia (Reuters) -- Prime Minister Paul Martin escalated a war of words with the United States on Wednesday, telling Washington not to dictate to him what topics he can raise in the run-up to Canada's January 23 election.
But U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins, who warned Canadian politicians on Tuesday not to bash the United States as part of their campaigning, denied on Wednesday he was trying to control the election debate.
Martin -- who has regularly attacked the U.S. stance on a bilateral trade dispute over softwood lumber and also criticized Washington's approach to climate change -- took aim at Wilkins' warning for a second consecutive day.
"When it comes to defending Canadian values, when it comes to standing up for Canadian interests, I'm going to call it like I see it," he told reporters in a lumber yard in Richmond, British Columbia. "I am not going to be dictated to as to the subjects I should raise."
Although Martin came to power in December 2003 promising to repair relations with the United States that were damaged by his predecessor's decision not to take part in the Iraq War, he has shown little hesitation in attacking Washington.
The two sides are locked in a protracted dispute over the U.S. decision to slap tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber shipments on the grounds they are unfairly subsidized. Canada says its lumber producers are not subsidized.
Ottawa is fighting the case through various trade panels and complains Washington is not respecting its obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
"This dispute with the United States demands leadership at the national level in Canada, even if that leadership happens to rankle some in the U.S.," said Martin, whose minority Liberal government fell last month over a corruption scandal.
Martin may feel he is on safe ground politically, since polls show most Canadians dislike U.S. President George W. Bush. But Wilkins said the continued attacks could start undermining the close relationship between the two countries.
Wilkins said his comments were aimed at improving relations between two major trading partners, and had "no intention of in any way affecting an election which is the business of Canadians."
"I don't presume I can dictate to anybody," Wilkins said after addressing a forum in Ottawa.
Martin also attacked Stephen Harper, leader of the main opposition Conservative party, saying he had been silent on the softwood lumber issue.
Harper, who criticizes what he says is Martin's needless antagonism of the Bush administration, knows that his electoral chances could be fatally undermined if he allows himself to be portrayed as too pro-American.
"I actually think the (U.S.) ambassador's intervention was inappropriate... I don't think foreign ambassadors should be expressing their views, or intervening in an election," Harper told reporters in Vancouver.
But Jack Layton, leader of the left-leaning New Democratic Party, who has demanded the Liberals take a tougher line with Washington in the softwood fight, dismissed Martin's comments as "shameless posturing."
"Whipping up the rhetoric about George Bush is very easy to do... Canadians have known that the Liberals will say anything in an election to get elected. I think now the ambassador has discovered the same thing," Layton said.
Harper equated Martin's dealings with the United States on softwood to a kid who calls names but is afraid to fight. "He hasn't thrown a punch. He couldn't throw a punch to save his life," he said.
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posted on December 16, 2005 01:13:47 PM
Thanks bunni for the link.
The article I read was a little more favorable to the US reasons for this dispute about the lumber issue though. But CNN doesn't care for this administration so just can't help itself.
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[i]Harper, who criticizes what he says is Martin's needless antagonism of the Bush administration, knows that his electoral chances could be fatally undermined if he allows himself to be portrayed as too pro-American[i].
LOL TOO PRO-American? Does that mean he has to take an ANTI-American position to please all those liberals?
And here it so upsets all our own liberals when I call countries or their leaders just what they really are....ANTI-Americans. LOL
"I actually think the (U.S.) ambassador's intervention was inappropriate... I don't think foreign ambassadors should be expressing their views, or intervening in an election," Harper told reporters in Vancouver.
ANOTHER great laugh. Yea, like they didn't in ours nor did all those other countries in the world that our very own liberals HERE where supporting. How funny.
posted on December 16, 2005 01:17:52 PM
Linda, the Liberals will get in again by a landslide. What could Bush possibly do to affect the outcome of the election in Canada?
posted on December 16, 2005 01:19:47 PM
Ha! The Canadians (and others) have already invaded. ! They own the Indianapolis Speedway and LOTS of other "American" STUFF:
posted on December 16, 2005 01:19:47 PM
Ha! The Canadians (and others) have already invaded. ! They own the Indianapolis Speedway and LOTS of other "American" STUFF:
posted on December 16, 2005 01:20:17 PM
Kraftdinner, I don't see anything in the article Bunni posted where Bush made any type of threat against Canada. Maybe I'm missing something.
posted on December 16, 2005 01:26:30 PM
Chimpchamp, what I heard was a Bush rep told Martin that "there would be consequences if he spoke out against the Bush administration". I can't verify if those were the exact words used.
posted on December 16, 2005 01:40:56 PM
Bill Maher was on Larry King last evening.
CALLER: Hello. I have a question for Bill. I would like to know what his response would to be the American ambassador saying that Canada was headed down a slippery slope because of all the constant criticism from Canada vis-a-vis U.S. policy, especially Paul Martin lately saying that America was ignoring the global conscience, vis-a- vis global warming.
MAHER: I think America needs to hear more of that. I think America's big problem, and I bet you most Canadians would agree with this, is that America needs to get over itself. Really. I mean, this nonsense I hear constantly coming out of Americans about, it's the greatest country in the world. First of all, how would you know it was the greatest country in the world? Have you done a study of the health care program in Denmark compared to ours? Or the tax program? No, you haven't. You're just saying that. You're just pulling it out of your behind. It's so silly and it's so childish to have to be the greatest country.
Maybe it's just the greatest for us. I'm not moving anywhere. I like it here, but to say it's the greatest country in the world -- it's like saying, I have the greatest wife in the world. Not just the greatest for me, but everybody else. If everybody else could get rid of their wife and have my wife, they would do it in a second! Because I've got the greatest wife in the world! It's silly. It's childish, and it leads us to bad places when you have that kind of hubris.
KING: Supernationalism?
MAHER: Yes, and that certitude, I mean, this administration, which I'm sorry to say, I know you don't like to talk about this, but only comes from a religious background when you are that sure of things. What does that lead to when you are so sure of yourself? When you are so sure that everything comes from God? Well, it leads to smear campaigns. It leads to outing CIA agents. It leads to torture. It leads, in other words, to anything where you can justify that the ends justify the means, because you know you're right. You're starting off with the premise, I'm pure and I got it from God.
posted on December 17, 2005 08:08:21 AMNow I hear Bush has issued a warning to Paul Martin to not put down the Bush government or there will be consequences for Canada
More threats from the Bush administration. Now Bush is telling foreign leaders not to speak out against him. Spoken like a true dictator.
If Bush can not take the criticism, he shouldn't be president.
Kraft, you better tell your political leaders they may end up being tortured in the secret CIA prisons in Europe if they keep up that bad mouthing of Bush.
Absolute faith has been shown, consistently, to breed intolerance. And intolerance, history teaches us, again and again, begets violence.
---------------------------------- The duty of a patriot in this time and place is to ask questions, to demand answers, to understand where our nation is headed and why. If the answers you get do not suit you, or if they frighten you, or if they anger you, it is your duty as a patriot to dissent. Freedom does not begin with blind acceptance and with a flag. Freedom begins when you say 'No.'
posted on December 17, 2005 09:38:45 AM
The US will just keep the tarrifs on and hurt Canada economically.
Nothing they can do about it and nothing the lumber industry wants done about it.
Ron
"Better to be hated for who you are than loved for who you are not."
posted on December 17, 2005 04:38:14 PMThen I guess Canada would have to ammend NAFTA and cut oil supplies to the US down a few notches.
You can also quit selling your cheaper perscription medication to the Republicans.
Absolute faith has been shown, consistently, to breed intolerance. And intolerance, history teaches us, again and again, begets violence.
---------------------------------- The duty of a patriot in this time and place is to ask questions, to demand answers, to understand where our nation is headed and why. If the answers you get do not suit you, or if they frighten you, or if they anger you, it is your duty as a patriot to dissent. Freedom does not begin with blind acceptance and with a flag. Freedom begins when you say 'No.'
