Canada shuns UN anti-racism conference

[maldon_road]

I think we all remember the fiasco in Durban. It turned into a anti-Israel rant with the US pulling out. Since then the UN has supposed to have cleaned up its "human rights" act but with Libya and Cuba running the show it will just be déjà vu all over again.

Canada shuns UN anti-racism conference; official calls it 'gong show'

By The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - The government is announcing Wednesday that Canada has abandoned a UN anti-racism conference slated to take place in South Africa next year.

A government official has told The Canadian Press the so-called Durban II conference has turned into a "gong show" with Libya elected to chair the gathering, Cuba appointed vice-chair and rapporteur, and anti-Israel rhetoric building.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, says the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban was a fiasco as Arab and Muslim countries ganged up in their criticisms of Israel....

(more)

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/racism_gong_show

[jdobbin]

I think we all remember the fiasco in Durban. It turned into a anti-Israel rant with the US pulling out. Since then the UN has supposed to have cleaned up its "human rights" act but with Libya and Cuba running the show it will just be déjà vu all over again.

In this case it is correct to avoid this meeting if it gives legitimacy to antisemitism.

Edited January 26, 2008 by jdobbin

[DogOnPorch]

Sounds like another party to miss.

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As a rule, men worry more about what they can't see than about what they can.

---Julius Caesar

[White Doors]

good move! happy they are not going to be party to this.

[maldon_road]

Views of one group.

... "Canadians are shocked when they hear the clear and simple expression of reality by their leaders," said Alastair Gordon, president of the Canadian Coalition for Democracies (CCD). "We are used to hearing double-speak from our politicians -- fantasies that are at odds with the reality that most Canadians see and the values that they hold."

The last UN anti-racism conference held in Durban in 2001 degenerated into a hate-fest of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel vitriol, while the most egregious human rights violators escaped criticism. The Toronto Star today reported that "all of the non-governmental organizations invited to the first conference have been invited back to the second, including those that were at the 'forefront of the hatred', some of which posted pro-Hitler posters at the 2001 gathering." ...

(more)

http://canadiancoalition.com/forum/messages/27979.shtml

[AngusThermopyle]

Yep, looks like this one is shaping up to be just like the last one. All they do is convince sane normal people to ignore them. As for the UN, well its no more than a farce, toothless and worst than useless. In fact downright harmfull in many instances.

[jbg]

In this case is correct to avoid this meeting if it gives legitimacy to antisemitism.

I respect you for your friendship to the Jewish people.

[jbg]

Sounds like another party to miss.

The "party to miss" is the entire UN. This is a start in the right direction.

[jacobhelliwell]

I don't think skipping anything is a step in the right direction. We should not be boycotting the meeting and allow the antisemitism to take place. Instead we should go as diplomats and try to get around our differences to find real ways to fight racism.

[Argus]

I don't think skipping anything is a step in the right direction. We should not be boycotting the meeting and allow the antisemitism to take place. Instead we should go as diplomats and try to get around our differences to find real ways to fight racism.

Maybe we should try and see when the KKK is holding its next meeting so you can attend.

[jbg]

I don't think skipping anything is a step in the right direction. We should not be boycotting the meeting and allow the antisemitism to take place. Instead we should go as diplomats and try to get around our differences to find real ways to fight racism.

The trouble is that the anti-Jewish and anti-Israel nature of these confabs is not really open to discussion. Why should the US and Canada attend and/or fund these West-bash fests?

[rbacon]

Good the UN is a very expensive White Liberal exercise in self flaggation. Enough of the Elite UN crap and lies. The UN is one of the most corrupt organizations on earth. When are we going to start bringing Famous UN Peacekeepers to trail for violence and sex crimes against those they were supposed to protect. The time of Lisping Mike Pearson has passed get over it. The UN is crooked and it is run by criminals.

[maldon_road]

I don't think skipping anything is a step in the right direction. We should not be boycotting the meeting and allow the antisemitism to take place. Instead we should go as diplomats and try to get around our differences to find real ways to fight racism.

We attended the 2001 conference that degenerated into anti-Semitic ranting. At that one we tried to inject common-sense into the process. It didn't work. Why will the next conference be any different?

[jbg]

We attended the 2001 conference that degenerated into anti-Semitic ranting. At that one we tried to inject common-sense into the process. It didn't work. Why will the next conference be any different?

The answer is that these people are hopelessly anti-Western, Israel is the weakest link. One of the reasons that the UN is a bad thing is that it doesn't relate the aid dollars to their source. Of course the West and not the Muslim oil countries are funding the aid, but since the UN is the apparent source of the lucre these countries have a free pass at attacking us.

[maldon_road]

The answer is that these people are hopelessly anti-Western, Israel is the weakest link. One of the reasons that the UN is a bad thing is that it doesn't relate the aid dollars to their source. Of course the West and not the Muslim oil countries are funding the aid, but since the UN is the apparent source of the lucre these countries have a free pass at attacking us.

The UN is a sewer. You would expect better from Louise Arbour a former Justice of the SCOC. But even she was seduced into the "Zionism is a form of racism" rhetoric. The only reason she backed down is because of the hue and cry about it.

[kimmy]

I respect you for your friendship to the Jewish people.

I've got a hunch that Dobbins would jump all over the Conservatives for having Canada skip an anti-racism conference, if he thought he could pull it off without re-opening the "Liberals are rife with anti-semitism" discussion. I've got a hunch that official Liberal spokesmen will decline to attack the Conservatives for the same reason, and that Liberal MPs will probably be advised to do the same.

From the article:

The UN declined to comment directly on Canada pulling out of the conference, but UN spokeswoman Marie Okabe said "racism is too important an issue for member states not to work out their differences."

Surely Ms Okabe must recognize that the sincerity of this effort to "fight racism" is highly suspect when the entire event seems constructed to repeat the earlier debacle.

How has the UN sunk to such depths in the first place?

-k

[jdobbin]

I've got a hunch that Dobbins would jump all over the Conservatives for having Canada skip an anti-racism conference, if he thought he could pull it off without re-opening the "Liberals are rife with anti-semitism" discussion. I've got a hunch that official Liberal spokesmen will decline to attack the Conservatives for the same reason, and that Liberal MPs will probably be advised to do the same.

It seems that all you do is personally attack. Why is that?

The level of nastiness you have sunk to is rather unpleasant.

Edited February 1, 2008 by jdobbin

[jbg]

I've got a hunch that Dobbins would jump all over the Conservatives for having Canada skip an anti-racism conference, if he thought he could pull it off without re-opening the "Liberals are rife with anti-semitism" discussion. I've got a hunch that official Liberal spokesmen will decline to attack the Conservatives for the same reason, and that Liberal MPs will probably be advised to do the same.

I posted that jdobbin is a friend of the Jews partially because it's true, and partially as an olive branch to him. Even though we agree on nothing I feel badly that he has me on "ignore" and blocks my (not numerous) PM's because I had, until the "ignore" never attacked him nor shown him ill will. Could you please quote this portion of the response so that Jdobbin sees it over his "ignore" of me, since given the amount of my participation "ignores" do cut the quality of the debate.

It seems that all you do is personally attack. Why is that?

The level of nastiness you have sunk to is rather unpleasant.

As you know, this is true on all sides. It's time for many people to "cool it" a bit. Boards are an opportunity for rational and interesting discussion and debate.

[kimmy]

It seems that all you do is personally attack. Why is that?

jbg informs me that you have him on ignore, so you might have missed what he wrote to you:

"I respect you for your friendship to the Jewish people."

If that's the case, then I suppose my message probably seemed rather out of the blue.

I was just skeptical about the extent of the friendship to the Jewish people that jbg was lauding you for.

It's been my experience that your participation in any given discussion can be boiled down to one of just 3 issues: promote the Liberals, criticize the Conservatives, or protect the Liberals from criticism. So when I saw JBG gushing over your "friendship to the Jewish people," my cynicism just got the better of me.

If it came across as a personal attack, then I'm sorry. However, while you're off being indignant, you might spend a moment or two wondering what you've done to earn this amount of cynicism.

The mindless partisanship on this particular part of the forum is why I seldom post in this area anymore, and seldom have anything nice to say when I do. You're hardly the only one, Dobbins, if that's any consolation.

-k

[jdobbin]

If it came across as a personal attack, then I'm sorry. However, while you're off being indignant, you might spend a moment or two wondering what you've done to earn this amount of cynicism.

The mindless partisanship on this particular part of the forum is why I seldom post in this area anymore, and seldom have anything nice to say when I do. You're hardly the only one, Dobbins, if that's any consolation.

I see no reason for your personal attack. I haven't attacked you in a personal way that I can recall.

I have commented previously on how a United Nations Human Rights group being led by dictatorships to criticize Israel and Jews in general is no place for Canada to be. I support the state of Israel and I am friend of Jewish people. The Conservative government has made the right choice not to be there.

There are no rules on being partisan. There are certainly rules on personal attacks. You may not agree with what I say but try at least respond to the substance of what is being said rather than attack the poster.

Edited February 2, 2008 by jdobbin

[Oleg Bach]

I see no reason for your personal attack. I haven't attacked you in a personal way that I can recall.

There are no rules on being partisan. There are certainly rules on personal attacks.

Racism is a personal thing as is anti- racism. To have commitees dictate on who and what I should approve of or accept is my buisness. You can not legislate human behaviour anymore than you can teach a dog not to dispise another dog that is not like it self.. being wary of those that are different is totally natural - and it's not resonable to be programed to go against what is natural. It's a fact that if you are racist - it takes a conserted effort to overcome that is an animalistic instinct - some can over come it and other can not - and yet others just pretend not to be racist but in their hearts are. For the record - a personal attack is partisanship at it's most natural.

[Argus]

I see no reason for your personal attack. I haven't attacked you in a personal way that I can recall.

I have commented previously on how a United Nations Human Rights group being led by dictatorships to criticize Israel and Jews in general is no place for Canada to be. I support the state of Israel and I am friend of Jewish people. The Conservative government has made the right choice not to be there.

There are no rules on being partisan. There are certainly rules on personal attacks. You may not agree with what I say but try at least respond to the substance of what is being said rather than attack the poster.

There might not be any rules, but you lose a lot of respect - I certainly have little to none for you - because your posts, since day one here - have appeared like nothing more than the spin-doctoring which emerges from the bowels of the Liberal Party machine. Your posts have no personality or substance. And that's odd, since you are perhaps the busiest poster on this site. There's nothing of YOU in any of your posts. We all know a little about the personalities of many of the people here, like Kimmy, like Black Dog, like Leafless, like me, because our personalities are part of our postings. We're here yelling at each other because we care about things. Your many, many, many postings are like something churned out by a machine. This is why some have suggested you're some sort of volunteer doing this as your "duty" to the party.

[jdobbin]

There might not be any rules, but you lose a lot of respect - I certainly have little to none for you - because your posts, since day one here - have appeared like nothing more than the spin-doctoring which emerges from the bowels of the Liberal Party machine. Your posts have no personality or substance. And that's odd, since you are perhaps the busiest poster on this site. There's nothing of YOU in any of your posts. We all know a little about the personalities of many of the people here, like Kimmy, like Black Dog, like Leafless, like me, because our personalities are part of our postings. We're here yelling at each other because we care about things. Your many, many, many postings are like something churned out by a machine. This is why some have suggested you're some sort of volunteer doing this as your "duty" to the party.

It seems the only ones who suggest that are the ones who attack posters personally. If you don't like my posts, put them on ignore or simply don't reply.

[fellowtraveller]

There might not be any rules, but you lose a lot of respect - I certainly have little to none for you - because your posts, since day one here - have appeared like nothing more than the spin-doctoring which emerges from the bowels of the Liberal Party machine. Your posts have no personality or substance. And that's odd, since you are perhaps the busiest poster on this site. There's nothing of YOU in any of your posts. We all know a little about the personalities of many of the people here, like Kimmy, like Black Dog, like Leafless, like me, because our personalities are part of our postings. We're here yelling at each other because we care about things. Your many, many, many postings are like something churned out by a machine. This is why some have suggested you're some sort of volunteer doing this as your "duty" to the party.

Nicely summarized.

I wonder if attendance at this conference would be better if it was held somewhere like Bali? If nothing else, they could concentrate all the hypocrisy in one place.

[jbg]

Nicely summarized.

I wonder if attendance at this conference would be better if it was held somewhere like Bali? If nothing else, they could concentrate all the hypocrisy in one place.

If you assume that the sponsor of these confabs, the UN, should exist at all, I suppose that wouldn't be a bad idea. I see no benefit in further extending a bad idea.