Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Lies my Father told me

Canada's Prime Minister Paul Martin has thrown MP Carolyn Parrish out of the Liberal caucus, just as U.S. President Bush is about to make his first official visit to Ottawa. Her crime was to criticize Bush, Martin and the Liberal party itself.


In fact, Ms Parrish is a well known, unrepentant, serial critic of President Bush and his administration, a thorn in the side of those Canadians who are constantly tiptoeing around, head bent low, looking for any criticism of the United States in order to shush them out before some US media take notice and scold us for our impudence and ingratitude. Canadian newspapers would print letters from irate Americans berating us for our tolerance of gay marriages, or our distaste for firearms or for having French signs in Quebec, and threatening to never visit us again. Such letters would generate comments from readers, all shaking in their boots. Not once have I seen anybody write back: «Who cares what some American yahoos think?». Invariably, Gordon Sinclair's famous Tribute to the US will be dragged out of mothballs and proffered to prove how much Canada «woves» the United States. And we do, most of the time. But it's a love mixed with fear, like a child loves his drunk father. Must be quiet, must lay low, bring Father his beer and his slippers, just do what Father says, in case he whips out his belt.


If not for the popular opposition to the US invasion of Iraq or the US space missiles programme, the Canadian Government would probably side itself with the US Administration on any stupid ideas these guys can come up with. Martin is probably not as submissive to Bush the Alpha Dog as Poodle Blair, but the temptation is there. And I understand perfectly. It must be tiring, all this constant hassle of having to drag their asses to the International Trade Commission or the World Trade Organization for various disputes, at great cost and to no avail, since the Americans have never submitted to any official rulings favourable to the Canadian side.


So I say to Ms Parrish: «You go girl!». Somebody has to keep reminding our Government that the American Emperor is buck naked, and that there is therefore no need to watch out for the belt. Just don't listen to his lies.

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