I like Tom Walkom very much and enjoyed his sardonic comment on American - Canadian relations. Tom's column, based on the published responses, has so far managed to offend an American reader, a public relations propagandist at the right wing Canadian Jewish Congress, and a Swiss reader. Ordinary Canadians do not necessarily share our conservative prime minister's desire to cozy up to the new Pax Americana. Personally, I was left with a huge smile on my face at Walkom's audacity. I am posting the American reader's response to the column, itself containing an ample amount of revisionist doo-dah. Canada's culture has historically been formed on the basis of not identifying too closely with American culture and republicanism and fear relating to American designs on Canada, the fear of the latter, indeed, being part of the basis of our Confederation in 1867. Canada's position, on Iraq, is one of the examples of our doing the right thing (well, not entirely, as my nephew has served on a Canadian warship that escorted American supply ships into harbour in the Gulf, last Spring) and distancing ourselves from American jingoism.
Jan. 15, 2004. 01:00 AM
History will record stupidity
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Can PM appease Bush?
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Opinion, Jan. 13.
Thomas Walkom is clearly an idiot with an ideological prejudice when
he portrays Canada in the role of Romania to the United States as Nazi
Germany. President Bush's policies make a mockery of Canada's appeasement
policy; it must drive him crazy.
If America is such an evil country, why is it that Canada's border is
undefended and its military an empty shell? Canadian politicians, having
realized that America would defend it from any outside threat, have taken
money from defence to buy votes with social welfare programs. Over the
decades Canada, of its own free will, has turned into a pampered,
under-muscled, windbag nation - a lippy runt hiding behind a larger man. If
the U.S. were to magically disappear tomorrow there would be a lot of soiled
Canadian pants. Imagine how tempting a target for aggression Canada would
be - a huge, beautiful country, rich in resources, defended by a tiny
population of effete, pampered windbags. The history books will find the
attitudes of Europe and Canada towards America to be the height of
stupidity.
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Daniel Stiles, Phoenix, Ariz.
REB
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Evans Harrell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Brian McAndrews" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Christoph Reuss"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 11:33 AM
Subject: Re: [Futurework] FWD: Tom Walkom article: Can PM
(Canadian)AppeaseBush?
> As did Karl Barth who stood on the frontier holding rifle.
>
> REH
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian McAndrews" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: "Christoph Reuss" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2004 9:39 AM
> Subject: Re: [Futurework] FWD: Tom Walkom article: Can PM (Canadian)
> AppeaseBush?
>
>
> > At 9:03 PM +0100 1/14/04, Christoph Reuss wrote:
> > > > These are the choices Canada faces with Bush's America. Former
prime
> > >> minister Jean Chr�tien attempted the Swiss solution - stay out of
the
> > >> aggressor's wars but continue to sell him whatever he needs. Hitler
> > >> was comfortable with that level of tacit support.
> > >
> > >Nonsense. Unlike Sweden and others, Switzerland was far from "selling
> > >him whatever he needs." And Chr�tien didn't stay out of Bush's wars,
> > >even sending some troops for the coalition of the killing, although
> > >Canada's situation is far less surrounded than CH in WW2.
> >
> > Hi Chris,
> > I'm sure the history you learned would lead you to call Walkom's
> > claim here 'nonsense'. I am going to delay accepting your view until
> > I finish reading volume 1 of Hans Kung's autobiography: My Struggle
> > for Freedom.
> > This remarkable Swiss theologian lived through this period of history
> > and has much to say about his country's response to Hitler.
> >
> > Take care,
> > Brian McAndrews
> >
> > --
> > **************************************************
> > * Brian McAndrews, Practicum Coordinator *
> > * Faculty of Education, Queen's University *
> > * Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6 *
> > * FAX:(613) 533-6596 Phone (613) 533-6000x74937*
> > * e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *
> > * "Education is not the filling of a pail, *
> > * but the lighting of a fire. *
> > * W.B.Yeats *
> > * *
> > **************************************************
> >
> >
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