Torog
10-31-2004, 11:26 AM
A push for Bush ... because John Kerry is just too scary
Toronto Sun ^ | October 31, 2004 | John Crosbie
October 31, 2004
A push for Bush
... because John Kerry is just too scary
By John Crosbie -- For the Toronto Sun
The day after tomorrow, the American people will decide who will be president for the following four years. This is tremendously important for Americans, but also for Canadians.
Before we discuss the bitter political struggle in the U.S., though, let us first look at ourselves.
Canada, according to the International Institute of Strategic Studies, who analysed the situation in 169 countries, is near the bottom in military spending, far behind our NATO allies and behind countries such as Croatia and Guyana. As a percentage of our gross domestic product (GDP), our military is among the worst funded in the world -- at 1.2% of our GDP. Even Nigeria and Kenya spent 1.8% of their GDP on their military.
U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci pointed out last week that it's a simple fact for the U.S. that "we cannot defend our homeland without Canada's help." Trouble is, Paul Martin's government fails to help.
Instead, three days after Parliament reopens, following an election that took place over three months ago, the PM meanders morosely about Europe, trying to look like a relevant world leader but actually looking mopish and a misfit.
Arriving in France, he is greeted not by the president or the prime minister but by an unknown, Ms. Ameline, the Minister of Parity and Professional Equality, whatever that might be.
When he steps off the government aircraft at Moscow, there are no honour guards or anthems, just a motorcade to take him downtown. His visit obviously is of little to no importance to the prime minister or the government of Russia.
When Martin then visits Hungary to attend a summit on progressive governance, whatever that is, the importance of the summit is shown when, rather than the invited 17 leaders attending and participating, only eight are at the final dinner party. The leaders of Poland, Argentina and the Czech Republic cancel before the conference. German Chancellor Schroeder excuses himself from attending.
It is obvious that Canada's opinions no longer count in the world community and that neither Martin nor his government get much respect when they travel abroad.
Just imagine, if you will, if Canada were in the position of power and military capability and economic strength that the U.S. is, or if the U.S. had had, in the last four years, a government composed of people who think and act like our Liberal government.
Where would the world be today? How would the people who live in liberal democratic countries be faring? What kind of chaos, instability, aggression, death and destruction would there be about the world if we had been in charge of the security and stability of the world?
I say thank God the United States did not have a government reflecting the views, positions, feelings and policies of the Canadian government during the perilous times after September 11, 2001.
Weakness corrupts
Joseph Joffe wrote that "Power corrupts, but so does weakness. But absolute weakness corrupts absolutely."
We should thank God that the United States had a president, George W. Bush, who did not succumb to weakness but had the backbone to respond to the terrorists and to countries that supported those terrorists. While Canada prefers to be a moralizing do-gooder, the world's moral superpower, the U.S., under Bush, accepted its global and continental responsibilities.
We have less clout now with the Americans and multilaterally than since the Second World War ended. Are we going to deal with the realities of today's world as a thinking and understanding liberal democracy with backbone, as we did in two World Wars and Korea, or weasel as we have done?
If I were able to vote in the United States, I would vote for George W. Bush as a proven person with backbone and determination.
We have been tremendously lucky in having a Bush for us to hide behind -- while we run around complaining about the thorns of the Bush and the amount of shade the Bush throws and what kind of fertilizer the Bush grew in.
I am a Canadian who prefers the Bush I know to the Kerry I find scary, and hopefully won't get to know.
Toronto Sun ^ | October 31, 2004 | John Crosbie
October 31, 2004
A push for Bush
... because John Kerry is just too scary
By John Crosbie -- For the Toronto Sun
The day after tomorrow, the American people will decide who will be president for the following four years. This is tremendously important for Americans, but also for Canadians.
Before we discuss the bitter political struggle in the U.S., though, let us first look at ourselves.
Canada, according to the International Institute of Strategic Studies, who analysed the situation in 169 countries, is near the bottom in military spending, far behind our NATO allies and behind countries such as Croatia and Guyana. As a percentage of our gross domestic product (GDP), our military is among the worst funded in the world -- at 1.2% of our GDP. Even Nigeria and Kenya spent 1.8% of their GDP on their military.
U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci pointed out last week that it's a simple fact for the U.S. that "we cannot defend our homeland without Canada's help." Trouble is, Paul Martin's government fails to help.
Instead, three days after Parliament reopens, following an election that took place over three months ago, the PM meanders morosely about Europe, trying to look like a relevant world leader but actually looking mopish and a misfit.
Arriving in France, he is greeted not by the president or the prime minister but by an unknown, Ms. Ameline, the Minister of Parity and Professional Equality, whatever that might be.
When he steps off the government aircraft at Moscow, there are no honour guards or anthems, just a motorcade to take him downtown. His visit obviously is of little to no importance to the prime minister or the government of Russia.
When Martin then visits Hungary to attend a summit on progressive governance, whatever that is, the importance of the summit is shown when, rather than the invited 17 leaders attending and participating, only eight are at the final dinner party. The leaders of Poland, Argentina and the Czech Republic cancel before the conference. German Chancellor Schroeder excuses himself from attending.
It is obvious that Canada's opinions no longer count in the world community and that neither Martin nor his government get much respect when they travel abroad.
Just imagine, if you will, if Canada were in the position of power and military capability and economic strength that the U.S. is, or if the U.S. had had, in the last four years, a government composed of people who think and act like our Liberal government.
Where would the world be today? How would the people who live in liberal democratic countries be faring? What kind of chaos, instability, aggression, death and destruction would there be about the world if we had been in charge of the security and stability of the world?
I say thank God the United States did not have a government reflecting the views, positions, feelings and policies of the Canadian government during the perilous times after September 11, 2001.
Weakness corrupts
Joseph Joffe wrote that "Power corrupts, but so does weakness. But absolute weakness corrupts absolutely."
We should thank God that the United States had a president, George W. Bush, who did not succumb to weakness but had the backbone to respond to the terrorists and to countries that supported those terrorists. While Canada prefers to be a moralizing do-gooder, the world's moral superpower, the U.S., under Bush, accepted its global and continental responsibilities.
We have less clout now with the Americans and multilaterally than since the Second World War ended. Are we going to deal with the realities of today's world as a thinking and understanding liberal democracy with backbone, as we did in two World Wars and Korea, or weasel as we have done?
If I were able to vote in the United States, I would vote for George W. Bush as a proven person with backbone and determination.
We have been tremendously lucky in having a Bush for us to hide behind -- while we run around complaining about the thorns of the Bush and the amount of shade the Bush throws and what kind of fertilizer the Bush grew in.
I am a Canadian who prefers the Bush I know to the Kerry I find scary, and hopefully won't get to know.