Recent Letter - David Wilkins

This was published in the Daily Gleaner on February 20.

Distinctly un-Canadian

When U.S. ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, says our Prime Minister is the most powerful person in the world, I think we are meant to believe this is a good thing.

I, for one, am not impressed by such a statement.

Exceptional power requires exceptional responsibility. It is irresponsible and irrational to invest so much power in one person.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper received his mandate because ordinary Canadians no longer trusted the Liberals. Harper promised accountability and a more transparent government.

Now, Harper carefully manages his party to limit communication and ensure most government media relations are handled through the Prime Minister Office.

Harper runs his government with a fear-and-intimidation management style.

Non-partisan groups, such as Democracy Watch, have repeatedly pointed out Harper's failing record on accountability.

Wilkins may be correct in stating Harper is the most powerful person in the world, but many Canadians would agree this is not good for the Canadian public.

Indeed, it is distinctly un-Canadian!

Rob Moir

Clifton Royal, N.B.

Recent Letter - US Troops in Canada

This was published in the Telegraph Journal on 26 February. The line "Fundy Royal NDP candidate" was added by the paper.

What constitutes an emergency?

A Feb. 22 report in the Ottawa Citizen outlines an important change in Canadian sovereignty; on Feb. 14 the Canada and the United States "signed an agreement that paves the way for the militaries from either nation to send troops across each other's borders during an emergency."

On the face of it, this does not seem too alarming and could be seen as a formalization of relations between good neighbours. But, what exactly constitutes an emergency?

Stuart Trew, a researcher with the Council of Canadians asks in the original article, "Are we going to see (U.S.) troops on our soil for minor potential threats to a pipeline or a road?"

I wonder if this means American soldiers could be called into Canada if a labour dispute interrupted critical energy exports? Speculation aside, two issues are more immediately worrying. First, because the U.S. military refuses to let its soldiers come under foreign command, there is a question as to who will control these U.S. forces.

Second it seems that under Mr. Harper's regime such answers will be difficult to come by, for while the United States military posted information about the agreement almost immediately, neither the Canadian government nor the Canadian military have made an announcement.

I'm not sure what definitions of transparency and accountability Mr. Harper uses, but they certainly differ from mine.

ROB MOIR

Fundy Royal NDP candidate

Clifton Royal

A Powerful Harper

This was submitted to the Irving papers this weekend. (Published in the Daily Gleaner Feb. 20)

When we read that U.S. ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, thinks that the Canadian Prime Minister is the most powerful person in the world, as we did on the front page of the Telegraph Journal (15 Feb.), I think we are meant to believe that this is a good thing.

I, for one, am not as impressed by such a statement. Exceptional power requires exceptional responsibility. Given our failings as human beings, it is irresponsible and irrational to invest so much power in one person.

Mr. Harper received his mandate because ordinary Canadians no longer trusted the Liberals and their abuse of power. He ran a campaign that promised accountability and a more transparent government. Now, Mr. Harper carefully manages his party in order to limit government communication to the free press and to ensure that most government media relations are handled through the PMO.

Mr. Harper runs his government with a fear-and-intimidation management style - the firing of the president of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Ms. Keen, and the absurd threat to mandate the speed with which Senate deals with the omnibus crime bill are but two recent examples. Non-partisan groups like Democracy Watch have repeatedly pointed out Mr. Harper’s failing record on accountability.

Mr. Wilkins may be correct in stating that Mr. Harper is the most powerful person in the world, but many Canadians would agree that this is not good for the Canadian public. Indeed, it is distinctly un-Canadian!

Right on!

A good friend wrote to me today about a new documentary, "Jesus Camp" which highlights the growth of fundamentalism in the US. What follows is my reply.

Hi John;

I've seen part of the movie and some documentaries on the topic. Pretty scary stuff.

I find it odd that we freak out about Islamic madras schools and claim they are a threat to the world when we foster the same thing in North America.

"You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye. Then you will see clearly to remove the piece of sawdust from another believer's eye." - Matthew 7:5.

The Oklahoma City bombing and the Unabomber clearly show the reality of homegrown, non-Islamic terrorism in the US.

Indeed, it seems lost to America that they invoked the concept of jihad, thereby creating the very thing they now feel called to destroy.

"The Soviet invasion of Kabul in December 1979, attracted the US towards the orthodox Islamic militia's role in forwarding the US policy, and which attracted considerable international attention and coverage in the popular press and academic circles of the time, in projecting what appeared then to be an American love affair with Islamism. It was, as the author points out, consummated in an alliance with the Islamist military dictator of Pakistan. In cooperation with Zia-ul-Haq's military intelligence services, with Saudi finance as well as with Pakistani logistical support, the CIA, managed in raising, training, equipping, paying and sending into battle a mercenary army of Islamist volunteers, against the Red Army in Afghanistan, terming it a 'jihad' or 'holy' war against the Soviets." (http://www.issi.org.pk/journal/2001_files/no_2/review/4r.htm)

"When will we ever learn?" - Pete Seeger.

For a good reflection on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "peace speech on Vietnam" (http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/058.html), see http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/opin/mlk03.html. I think it is quite appropriate.

Peace,

Rob

PS. Did I ever send you Harper's connections to the US religious right? If not, here are two links: http://dawn.thot.net/harperstiestousa/ and http://dawn.thot.net/ann-porter.html.