[quidnunc]

Quote:

So yes, Mr. Cohen's call for a national review and debate over Canada's role in the world is timely. But that review must not take place in a vacuum. If we are going to spend more money on defence, then we must spend it on defence instead of on something else. If the federal government is going to greatly increase its commitment to foreign aid, then it must also declare its determination to reduce subsidies for agriculture or culture. Or if we are to fund these increases out of surpluses, we must acknowledge that the money is not going to health care or education.

So evidently Canada can either be a nanny state or a player on the international scene, but not both.

I'm betting that Canadians will opt to maintain the status quo, keeping and even expanding their social programs while continuing to congratulate themselves on being the indespensible nation and the nexus for all that is right and proper in the world.

[longtermmemmory]

time for provinces to join the states

http://www.unitednorthamerica.org

Canada did not even have its own embasies until the 80's. It used englands as a member of the commonwealth. Even their passports advise citizens they can go to an elglish embassy. Canada has never been a viable independent gov. put a fork in them, they are done.

[Tacis]

Well, the Prime Minister and his son-in-law are doing very well, thank you. In fact, the only thing they worru about is whether Saddam will turn up alive and demand some of his cash back.

[GulliverSwift]

Mr. Cohen wants a comprehensive national review of foreign policy and defence, followed by massive increases in defence (ideally from $12-billion to $20-billion) and foreign-aid spending (optimally from 0.25 per cent of GDP to 0.7 per cent) accompanied by an aggressive foreign policy that, .

Wow, 20 billion dollars. Isn't that Indiana's state budget? Of course, if it's Canadian monopoly money, it's even more of a joke.

[desertcry]

The canadians have not learned the lessons of the soviet union: socialism/communism does not work. I predict a mass migration of proud Canadians to the south of their boder. Only middle easterners, and chinese will be left as canucks
in ten years time.

[SkyPilot]

Don't worry Canada--we elected a jerk too (Clinton). But, we got rid of him and hired a real leader. You just have to convince the liberals, the unionists, the pagan envrionmentalists, the left-handed-lesbian-aboriginals, and the "gimme class" that your nation is better off when it acts like an adult.

[xJones]

The strains in Canada-U.S. relations that emerged over the Iraq war have all Canadians talking to each other about how close we have got to the United States, and what alternatives there might be.

Sounds like at least the author would like other "alternatives" to close ties with the U.S.

[Billthedrill]

In part at least, the international institutions that an entire generation of professional politicians and social reformers placed an inordinate amount of faith and hope, have failed. Part of the drive to make them succeed involved a voluntary ceding of authority to their leaders (the UN, the EU, various international environmental organizations, et al), which has resulted in a sense of entitlement on the part of those leaders that is not a function of value delivered, a sense of moral superiority on their part that is not a function of any particular superiority in virtue, and a profound corruption that is a function of possession of funds and authority without accountability.

It turned out to be a predictably bad bet. Time, I think, to cut losses and stop pouring political and actual capital into the hole. It isn't only Canadian political leaders that need to consider this seriously, it's France, Germany, and a host of others as well.

[George W. Bush]

Simply put, if we get too far from the Americans, we get punished.

We've only given a small slap to the wheat board and the timber industry. It's going to accelerate heavily. Canuckistan is going to understand American economic power and the downside of NAFTA very soon. The consequences will be quite dire for Canada if a very abrupt course change is not instituted after the upcoming election.

Our ambassador's meddling in Canadian politics and Bush's cancellation of his trip to Canada (so he could visit Arkansas!) was just a warning shot across the bow. We're going to get very serious about Canada.

[gcruse]

Nanny or player? Since old Europe itself isn't even a player anymore, might as well spend the money on comfort food. Universal health care needs every penny not already spent on it just to be acceptable.