U.S. Ambassadors

[Yaro]

Why would people be surprised that the American ambassador is defending his country? Isn't that one of his primary responsibilties? He works for the them not us.

[speaker]

Why would people be surprised that the American ambassador is defending his country? Isn't that one of his primary responsibilties? He works for the them not us.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well exactly, or for that matter any Canadian has the right to defend his or her country. If the long term goal is to have a long term we better start listening to what is said and respond with actions that respect our planet. Protecting American corporate, for example lumber, interests at the expense of their forests, or Canadian corporate, read American corporate lumber interests at the expense of our forests isn't any sort of long term mentality.

Selling reources at below their cost of sustainable production isn't making many of us rich, and it is making all of us poorer.

[sharkman]

Oh boy, I just responded to a similar comment in another thread, so I can just copy-paste part of that post.

Efficiency, gotta love it 

......it seems that Canadians in general hate the U.S. and only want to take their money.

You CAN love a country, and still not like that same country's government.

Much the way you feel about Canada, it seems.

The U.S. doesn't need 'friends' like that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You mean friends like this......(PMPM following Hurricane Katrina)

"On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I offer our sincere condolences to the American people. During this most difficult time, Canada stands with you, and we are ready to provide whatever support you may require in the days, weeks and months ahead."

In fact, the USA was so upset by this unfriendly comment, and the actions which followed, that their ambassador Wilkins responded in a most outraged fashion, saying.....

"Four years after the devastating terror attacks of September 11, 2001, my country finds itself once again hurting deeply. And today - just as it did four years ago - Canada has come to our aid early and eagerly."

Someone that comes to your aid, when you're in need, "eagerly and early".

Sounds like the best kind of friend to me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey pocket, your selective memory is quite impressive. I"ll waste one post on this. Words mean much less than action. Martin said the right things at the time of Katrina and then sends stuff on a bleedin' ship! It took way too long to get there. He could have had it trucked/flown down much faster. And by the time they got there, the aid workers weren't needed according to some reports. But a ship 'sounds' impressive. It's all about image with Martin.

As far as Martin and the U.S. Ambassador making friendly, you find one incident and extrapolate it into the state of our relationship. Almost as if the last several times Martin has taken swipes at the U.S. didn't happen. Never mind the crapola comments that went on under Chretien. Like I said, your selective memory is something else.

[Yaro]

Hey pocket, your selective memory is quite impressive. I"ll waste one post on this. Words mean much less than action. Martin said the right things at the time of Katrina and then sends stuff on a bleedin' ship! It took way too long to get there. He could have had it trucked/flown down much faster. And by the time they got there, the aid workers weren't needed according to some reports. But a ship 'sounds' impressive. It's all about image with Martin.

As far as Martin and the U.S. Ambassador making friendly, you find one incident and extrapolate it into the state of our relationship. Almost as if the last several times Martin has taken swipes at the U.S. didn't happen. Never mind the crapola comments that went on under Chretien. Like I said, your selective memory is something else.

Not that I want to get into such a stupid argument, but clearly you have no idea what your talking about because the goods from Canada arrived before the Federal response in your own country. As for the notion of Canada not helping the US, I can point to half a dozen times that Canada has had no practical self interest and took actions strictly in support of our "friends" to the south but I can't come up with a single time that the US has ever helped Canada with anything without significant self interest.

This has been a one way relationship in the extreme.

[PocketRocket]

Hey pocket, your selective memory is quite impressive.

Hey SHARKMAN, always a pleasure.

And, nice to see you find something impressive

I"ll waste one post on this.

Your magnanimity is a wonder to behold.

Words mean much less than action.  Martin said the right things at the time of Katrina and then sends stuff on a bleedin' ship!  It took way too long to get there.  He could have had it trucked/flown down much faster.  And by the time they got there, the aid workers weren't needed according to some reports.

According to whose reports???

So whatever happened to the supplies we sent down there??? Were they turned down??? Sent back??? Were our aid workers sent away??? Could the "lateness" of our arrival have had something to do with Bush initially saying that they didn't need our help???

How many other countries offered aid??? How many took any action???

You said it yourself, "Words mean less than action", and Canada's actions have always been those of a good and dependable friend. A friend who will help when the chips are down, but will not be pushed around by its rather more boisterous big buddy.

But a ship 'sounds' impressive.  It's all about image with Martin.

"All about image". You mean like all politicians??? Any politician's image is his/her biggest asset.

But in speaking of selective memory, you seem to selectively forget our aid after 9/11.

Fortunately, the US hasn't.

In times of trouble we've always offered our help to the USA, and likely always will.

Just like the friends we are.

As far as Martin and the U.S. Ambassador making friendly, you find one incident and extrapolate it into the state of our relationship.  Almost as if the last several times Martin has taken swipes at the U.S. didn't happen.  Never mind the crapola comments that went on under Chretien.

As I pointed out in another thread, "David vs Goliath" is always a great image to cultivate, and the USA is the biggest Goliath on the world stage.

The right-wing pundits in the USA don't seem to grasp this simple fact of politics, and all their rants simply play further into PMPM's hands and do little more than add fuel to his tactics.

It's a sad commentary when you think about it.

Like I said, your selective memory is something else.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pot, kettle.

[YankAbroad]

Again, why are people allowing themselves to be manipulated by nationalist politicians?

You do realize this is done to make us easier to control, right?

One prominent example -- SKY News in Britain runs reports from FOX to "prove" what right-wing idiots Americans are. FOX runs reports from Sky News to "prove" the "Anti-American jihadist sentiment against Americans has reached fever pitch in Europe."

Both companies are owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. You don't think he's playing both sides like a fiddle?

You think similar things aren't happening in the USA and Canada as well?

Then I've got a bridge to sell you in Buffalo. Cheap.