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Topic: Canada's international reputation
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Red T-shirt
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 5872
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posted 20 March 2006 05:50 PM
Linda McQuaig makes good points in her column. First, Canada does have an excellent international reputation for fairness, impartiality, and modest support for human rights. Those who would deny this fact are ignoring the facts. Why do they suppose that so many Americans, and others, purchase Canadian patches and logos when travelling abroad and try to pass themselves of as Canadians? Why do they suppose that Canadian passsports are amoung the most sought after in the world, whether legitimately held or forged? This country's good international reputation simply makes it safer to be seen as a Canadian. It is a reputation that should be actively protected and enhanced, not risked or denied.Canada's good reputation has also largely protected us from the kind of hatered and violence directed at the US as a result of its very different global agenda and actions. This alone is not the reason Canada acts as it has, but it is an undeniable benefit of those past actions. The best way to continue to recieve the benefit of relative security and international respect is to continue to act in the same ways. Unfortunatley, it appears our foreign policies and international actions are changing. One suspects that they are likely to change more and more quickly under the Harper Conservative government. This is something that we should be greatly concerned about and unfortunately it appears to be something the MSM is not keeping us well informed about. Had I not read Linda's column I would not have known for example that Canada recently voted with the US to prevent Palestinian women and children from returning to their homes. When parliment resumes I hope that this type of change will be hotly debated.
History has shown that pound for pound (in terms of population) our allies can ask for no greater freind than Canada in times of war, but as Linda suggests we enter conflict reluctantly and only as a last resort. Here's hoping that our normal role remains that of independant peace-keepers, not US directed peace-makers as in the current Afghanistan mess.
From: Port Hope, Ontario | Registered: May 2004
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unionist
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 11323
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posted 22 March 2006 02:50 PM
quote:
Originally posted by scooter:
Really? I don't see any change. Harper is supporting the same positions that the Liberal/NDP coalition supported at the UN and Harper is keeping troops in countries that the Liberal/NDP coalition had supported. It is scary how little has changed.
I disagree - not with your critique of the Liberal/NDP coalition, but with the view that things aren't getting worse. Although he hasn't had much time, Harper, in style and substance, is sucking up to the U.S. and surpassing the sycophancy of Paul Martin. Case in point: Canada vetoes key U.N. motion on refugees quote:
OTTAWA -- Canada voted against a controversial resolution on Palestinian rights at the United Nations yesterday, an early sign that the new Harper government is aligning its Middle East policy more closely with the views of Israel and the United States.The previous Liberal government had abstained on the identical resolution last year. But on instructions from Ottawa, the Canadian delegation at the UN joined the United States to vote against a non-binding motion calling on Israel to allow all Palestinian refugee women and children to return to their homes. The South-African-sponsored resolution was adopted by the UN Economic and Social Council by a vote of 41-2 with only Canada and the United States voting against it.[...] Shimon Fogel, chief executive officer of the Canada-Israel Committee, said that with this vote Canada is showing the world its displeasure with resolutions that pose as human-rights measures but in fact single out one country, Israel, for criticism. "We're very pleased with the Canadian vote," Mr. Fogel said. Hussein Amery, the president of the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations, said that unlike the Liberals, the Conservatives did not even consult with Canadian Arab and Muslim groups before making such a significant policy shift.
From: Vote QS! | Registered: Dec 2005
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voice of the damned
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 6943
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posted 22 March 2006 08:08 PM
quote:
quote:
Originally posted by scooter:Really? I don't see any change. Harper is supporting the same positions that the Liberal/NDP coalition supported at the UN and Harper is keeping troops in countries that the Liberal/NDP coalition had supported. It is scary how little has changed.
I disagree - not with your critique of the Liberal/NDP coalition, but with the view that things aren't getting worse. Although he hasn't had much time, Harper, in style and substance, is sucking up to the U.S. and surpassing the sycophancy of Paul Martin. Case in point:
I don't doubt that things will get worse under Harper. However, for the sake of its own credibility, I think the Left neeeds to avoid the kind of romanticization of previous Canadian foreign poicy that the original poster indulges in.
From: Asia | Registered: Sep 2004
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siren
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7470
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posted 22 March 2006 11:54 PM
Oh, it's changed and changing more, all for the worse.The Harperites will support Israel to the max -- partly for their own religious delusions. And then there is this: quote:
Globe and Mail
OTTAWA -- Canada is lobbying at a major UN conference this week for an end to an international moratorium on the field testing of controversial so-called suicide seeds, despite opposition from farm organizations around the world, activists say.The seeds, which are genetically modified to produce sterile offspring, are among the most controversial products biotechnology has yet produced, and critics say they could undermine traditional small-scale farming. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Canada joined other parties to the UN Convention on Biodiversity in imposing a moratorium on use of the seeds six years ago, but observers say the federal government is now advocating field tests on a case-by-case basis. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ India and Brazil, both major agriculture countries, have banned the technology. Australia and New Zealand are backing calls to permit testing, while the United States is working behind the scenes because it hasn't ratified the biosafety convention. "We see the terminator technology as a crime against nature," Vandana Shiva, a prominent Indian scientist, author and environmental activist, told a news conference yesterday. "The driving force behind this is quite clearly the United States. The problem is the United States has never become a member of the UN biosafety convention. Instead they're using Canada do its dirty work." Dr. Shiva noted that the U.S. government is co-owner of the terminator technology. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Canadian delegation in Brazil is led by Environment Canada, but a spokesman declined to answer questions. Agriculture Canada is in charge of the file. A spokeswoman for Agriculture Canada said no one was available to answer questions because all relevant experts are in Brazil.
Secretive little fucks, these Harperites. Not listening to Arab Canadians on Palestinian issues, nor to farmers on agricultural issues. If only they were as smart as they think they are. (The seed technology is also being discussed on the jimmy modifies corn and the govt don't care thread. Although you might not have guessed that from the title.) [ 23 March 2006: Message edited by: siren ]
From: Of course we could have world peace! But where would be the profit in that? | Registered: Nov 2004
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Topic Closed
