posted March 29, 2003 at 8:43 a.m. MDTWe're familiar enough with the corrupt figure who surrounds himself with spineless yes-men, right? And we know that Saddam, a true devotee of Josef Stalin (not nearly enough attention has been paid to this fact) is not likely to entertain uncomfortable opinions generously, right? So why has Uncle Sam so often carried on like such a pig-headed boor? Well ... it's about a culture of servility, isn't it. We buy gas-guzzling vehicles, and make wealthy companies that are larcenous in their practices (I have Micro$oft in mind just now), and elect officials who know how to pander to our simplest and least reasonable appetites. Have we been through this before? Maybe not! Maybe it would serve us to pay attention just now, to look around and see just who's doing just what.
Now, I wonder just how our American cousins think they can hand Canada a white feather!!? "You're a bully, or you're a coward!" ... sounds like the sort of thing a psychopath would say, or force his followers to say. Shall we have a rite of passage that includes a show of undieing loyalty, some sort of sadistic test, like using pliers to tear a powerless victim's nostrils? (Last I heard, the USofA still trains torturers and assassins at the School of the Americas.)
"It's about war, not loyalty, sir [thestar.com] - Again, there is no room for a discussion of values or principles.
All that matters is solidarity with the U.S.
No one questions these gentlemen's right to speak their minds.
Vigorous debate is healthy, especially during a divisive war. Nor is it wrong to talk about the economic and political consequences of Canada's decision to sit out the American-led invasion of Iraq. Ottawa's stance is likely to have a negative effect on Canada's $2 billion-a-day business with the U.S.
What is troubling is the readiness of the U.S. and its defenders to accuse anyone who does not share Washington's view of the world of ingratitude, cravenness and irresponsibility."
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