Our great leader by means of his foreign policy sycophant , the venerable Mandarin Peter Kent, has virtually extended a NATO style "article 5" clause to a non-NATO member state: Israel. "There is no military treaty but I think the Prime Minister's … commitment is quite clear: We don't pay lip service to our commitments to friends and allies." So he intoned.
Henceforth, any attack on this state ( whether it comes from Lebanon, Syria etc) is an attack on us as well. So it has been decreed. Canada is now only a hair's breadth away from declaring war on the entire Middle-East region ( Iran included).
That’s brilliant. But too bad there’s no parliament to examine this issue or any other matter related to war and peace or even foreign policy for that matter. We ("noble savages") can’t even defeat those beastly barbarians in Afghanistan, yet we’re offering to defend and fight for Israel unconditionally if it's attacked ! Any military historian knows that Israel would do a much better job fighting for Canada than the other way round. They don't need to shelter themselves under the leaves of our protective Maple tree. It's like Belorussia extending a security pledge to the Russians. In other words , stratigically speaking, a farce.
This expression of unflinching support for Israel by Ottawa, seems to be purely a domestically motivated move, which blatantly panders to one group within our harmonious multicultural electorate, at the expense of all the others. Why not extend the same show of solidarity to the Sri-Lankans, India or Pakistan even?
Furthermore, with all due respect to our armed and fighting forces over there in the Persian Gulf and central Asia; who would you rather have on your side when the chips are down? The IDF or Canada’s finest bravest troops there to save your precious bottom, when it’s on or in the line of fire? This may sound unpatriotic, but I for one, would prefer the former and not the latter. So then what's the point of this gesture of good-will towards our second closest ally? Maybe it's all gain and no pain for our great leader. Let's put it more explicitly: it's a ruse or a big vote getter in a few Liberal bastions (whose residents might be pro-Isreali...) or strong-hold ridings in Montreal or Toronto, which could make the difference between a majority and minority government. This appears to be a cheap and highly transparent stunt indeed . It's bound to back-fire, as it offends other "cultural communities" whose votes might be less coveted by the glorious party in power. I'm sure Bush's campaign strategist and guru, Karl Rove, would be very impressed with this tactic.
What a meaningless, vapid “security guarantee” our great leader has given to a very well-armed and equipped (with unlike Canada, its own “home-grown” arms industry) state with more nukes than Pakistan (yes, we can assume Israel is a nuclear state) and much more weaponry than anyone else in its proximity or neighbourhood. Maybe that’s why Iran wants the bomb too, perhaps?
Anyhow, let’s not get off point here. Back to this bi-lateral, love-in. Our supreme ruler, would maybe show the same respect for our national legislature, as the Israeli government does for its parliament, “the Knesset”. "Our House" here is “padlocked” while theirs over there, is open for business even in the most critical times such as war-time. Unlike in Canada, the Israeli parliament is currently in session and its MPs are at work. Israel, whether you like it or not, is certainly a functional democracy. And is not run like a Central American or Middle-Eastern authoritarian state; a polity which our great leader apparently admires so much. Absolute power placed or concentrated into, the hands of one man, and one supreme party, is obviously frowned upon there for painful and still relevant historical reasons.
Now, let’s get back to the great games. Have you noticed the timing of the latest NATO offensive christened "Operation Moshtarak" or as it is being euphemistically referred to as a “counter insurgency” in Marja Afghanistan, (according to the "Globe and Mail", Canada has 34 troops there incorporated with with an Afgan brigade and playing a "mentoring" role) conveniently fits to take place at the height of the Olympics? The Georgians launched an attack in early August 2008, on the Russians ( Abkazia , South Ossetia) just as the Olympic Games were in full swing in Beijing. Pardon my Machiavellian musings, but perhaps this whole “Games thing”, is also a diversionary tactic to distract us from the military quagmire we're in overseas. Parliament is shut down and the Olympics are underway. Meanwhile, an escalation of a war in Afghanistan is in progress. Our great leader and military commander deserves a heroic victory on the war-front fast. His domestic political prospects, meanwhile, look very grim indeed. But now, if Israel strikes against Iran (or the other way around) our Churchill from Calgary after Afghanistan, might have another overseas battle on his hands , thus tightening his grip on power, while providing himself with a pretext to prolong the prorogation . We all can take comfort from this notion, right?
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