Harper shows Obama what a spine is

[JakeYYZ]

Yep, what's not to like? Stephen Harper shows true leadership and tells Tunisia and Egypt to look elsewhere for their cash cows because Canada says NO to more funding. This was after he was the only one of the G8 to stand beside Israel and also their asinine plan to back Obama's stupid ass return to indefensible borders stance.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Har ... story.html

[azimuthaviation]

ya cause obamas afraid of tunisia

It really takes guts to stand up to the powers in tunis and benghazi, knowing the infuence and political/economic clout they carry. and then to defend israel? to take up the cause of a nation and group that has absolutely no influence or power and to take their side which is so unpopular in the west and to his voters back home just out of principle.

and people say canada has lost its legitimacy in world affairs...

[mcrit]

It really takes guts to stand up to the powers in tunis and benghazi

You are quite right. The countries that you mentioned amount to pretty much zero in terms of power, influence and importance. Telling them to hit the road takes no guts at all. But they weren't the ones asking for money. It was the rest of the G8 that wanted the money. Telling the G8 'No' takes a bit more guts, as does openly opposing the US policy on Isreal.

[azimuthaviation]

LOL ya one has to be pretty brave to oppose USA's policy on Israel all right, cant argue with that.

[crazy_aviator]

EDITED

[azimuthaviation]

My people know them all too well, people here are just starting to figure them out. Usually once its too late.

[azimuthaviation]

The Israelis showed their true colors during the days of Apartheid. During the darkest days of apartheid when SA was isolated, vilified, sanctioned, and boycotted by the world, they had no better friend than Israel. Israel at the time must have thought apartheid was the greatest thing, but now are horrified and combative when they are called an apartheid state. It wasnt that bad before 1989 of course.


But then the Israelis at the last moment jumped on the right side of history, and shunned the old regimes ways and tok the cause of freedom of the black people. In 1994 Nelson Mandella was sworn in as the first elected president of South Africa. Among the worlds dignitaries and the revolutionaries from across the third world who funded and supported the ANC and freedom sat Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin. As they sat with their fake smiles, pretending as if they were part of the club of honorable and civilized people, I guess they hoped no one would remember their record. Maybe they hoped there would be no hard feelings about when a few years earlier the Israeli President told the presiednt of SA that being on good terms with israelis whose ancestors were studying in the temple was far better than being on good terms with the blacks, whose ancestors were savages in the jungle.

And as Mandella, direct descendant of jungle savages took the podium as president of South Africa, he took notice of his two new friends in the audience. Looking directly at them he said "The people of South Africa will never be fully free from apartheid until the palestinians are also freed from apartheid". The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice and despite the efforts of Israel, harper and anyone else who thinks they can defy that, this law is an absolute and no forc on earth will change that

[hz2p]

this law is an absolute

Whatever gets you through the night.

[ktcanuck]

Standing up against the G8 and the US gets you thrown off the Security Council and netts you few favours when you need them. It costs you F35s to get back in some good graces. Will it be good in the long run? It's politics. Time will tell if Canada has enough of it's own clout to get by.

[robertsailor1]

I'm supportive of many of Harper's policies however on this one I'm thinking the religious side of him is leading the charge and I don't agree with it.

[The Old Fogducker]

So does that mean you support Hamas and Hezbolla Sailor?

I commend the PM on going against Obama's grain and coming down on the side of a long time loyal ally of the west.

The Old Fogducker

[Rockie]

Maybe Obama is the one with guts admitting that the positions of the last 60 years have garnered nothing but insecurity and death, and it might be time to think a little off the established dogma?

[JakeYYZ]

So in the ongoing question of whether Obama is malevolent or an idiot, Jake comes down on the idiot side. Nice guy, but out of his league.

[Rockie]

Perhaps you're thinking of the "either you're with us or against us" gunfight at the OK corral league that GWB headed up Jake? If that's the case I agree, Obama isn't a member. He's the founder of the new "let's think this thing through" league.

He's also not averse to taking a risk after thinking things through as recent events will attest.

[Nark]

Clearly he doesn't "think things through."

His health-care debacle, arguably cost the Demorcrats both Houses in 2010. In addition to his other economic decisions.

Again, my $500 bucks will be donated to AvCanada if he's re-elected next year.


The one thing I like about the American political system, is that the elected officials (generally) vote for their constituents, not the party.
Could the same be said for PM Harper in this case?

[Rockie]

Again, my $500 bucks will be donated to AvCanada if he's re-elected next year.

Joe will thank you.

Maybe you can help Sarah Palin out in her quest for the White House? Comedians have had little to work with in the last three years.

[JakeYYZ]

Thinking things through? You mean like: his instruction to NASA to reach out to Muslims; giving the middle-finger to Congress over the War Powers Act and Libya; flip-flopping like he’s on crack over Afghanistan, Iraq, Guantanamo, the Patriot Act ..you name it. Even seeing a reasonable facsimile of his birth certificate was like pulling teeth. I wasn’t a huge fan of the shrub, but this guy is something else. He’s a hustler in well-creased trousers.

[crazy_aviator]

I commend the PM on going against Obama's grain and coming down on the side of a long time loyal ally of the west.

Long time loyal ally ?? What has Israel done for the west EVER ? Its a 1-way street, The west is always funneling $$ and weapons and protection everything else to Israel. Israel does NOT give a rats ass about ANYONE on this earth except its own, EDITED!

PS: I appreciate your posts and agree with pretty much all that you write !

[Expat]

Before this tread gets killed or locked, I would like to add a word of wisdom.

The US, as the only super power now, should be able to live up to the responsibilities that come with the post.
One of them, a very important one, is to show some leadership, vision, understanding, and forward-looking stance, to the rest of the world. If they can't achieve that, then they are just a military power, without hope for maintaining their world leading status very long.
One of the main aspects of the world leadership, is to possess an understanding of world's affairs, the various players, the forces in play, etc...
As a true leader, one has to not take sides, but listen to all, and find the compromises necessary to make life better for all.
Taking sides with one belligerant brat, and opposing the whole school, because there is a disagreement, is not the way a world leader should act.
In summary, true leadership involves talking to all, and finding a negotiated solution that is acceptable to all. Taking sides shows weakness, and incompetency at minimum...
Tonight's wisdom words...

[iflyforpie]

Before this tread gets killed or locked, I would like to add a word of wisdom.

The US, as the only super power now, should be able to live up to the responsibilities that come with the post.
One of them, a very important one, is to show some leadership, vision, understanding, and forward-looking stance, to the rest of the world. If they can't achieve that, then they are just a military power, without hope for maintaining their world leading status very long.

So the Soviet Union was never a superpower then?

Were they really upholding those qualities listed above in Berlin in 1948? Hungary in 1956? Czechoslovakia in 1968? Afghanistan in 1979? Poland in 1981?

[azimuthaviation]

8 of the last 12 winners of the National Spelling Bee were from India. Its a superpower that cant read, not very sustainable.

[Beefitarian]

National?

[Nark]

I would hope 12 of the 12 were from India...

[Moose47]

<<<8 of the last 12 winners of the National Spelling Bee were from India. Its a superpower that cant read, not very sustainable.<<<

They winners of the Scripps National Spelling Bee were from the United States. They are children of parents who immigrated to the U.S. and referred to as Indian-Americans. That makes them U.S. citizens. The country of India has never been invited to take part in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

"2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee Odds The Scripps National Spelling Bee (formerly the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee and commonly called the National Spelling Bee) is a highly competitive annual spelling bee in the United States, with participants from other countries as well. It is run on a not-for-profit basis by The E. W. Scripps Company and is held the week following Memorial Day weekend, in the ballroom at the Grand Hyatt Washington hotel in Washington, D.C. Historically, the competition has been open to, and remains open to, the winners of sponsored American regional spelling bees. Over the years, the competition has been opened to contestants from Canada, Mexico, Jamaica, New Zealand, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Ghana, Germany, South Korea, and the Bahamas. Participants from countries other than the United States must be regional spelling-bee winners as well. Since 1994, ESPN has televised the later rounds of the bee; since 2006, earlier rounds have aired on the cable channel during the day, and the Championship Finals have aired in primetime on ABC."

http://nriusa.blogspot.com/search/label/SpellingBee

http://www.littleindia.com/news/142/ART ... 03-12.html

http://www.slate.com/id/2255622/

[Dex]

Yep, what's not to like? Stephen Harper shows true leadership and tells Tunisia and Egypt to look elsewhere for their cash cows because Canada says NO to more funding. This was after he was the only one of the G8 to stand beside Israel and also their asinine plan to back Obama's stupid ass return to indefensible borders stance.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Har ... story.html

My understanding is that Obama's "67 borders" were the starting point for negotiations and not the final borders. Which is reasonable and lawful. I do find it funny when people say the 67 borders are indefensible though. The massive amounts of military equipment/resources used for occupation and protecting the illegal settlements scattered throughout the West Bank would be more than enough to guard Israel within the 67 borders. Although I think both sides could benefit from negotiations for land and resource swaps.