Stop bashing us, upset US tells Canada Tue Dec 13, 2005 2:32 PM ET OTTAWA (Reuters) - The United States made an unprecedented foray into Canada's election campaign on Tuesday, warning politicians not to bash Washington in their bid to win voter support on January 23. "Canada never has to tear the United States down to build itself up," U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins said in a televised speech. "It may be smart election politics to thump your chest and constantly criticize your friend and your No. 1 trading partner. But it's a slippery slope and all of us should hope it doesn't have a long-term impact on our relationship." Wilkins didn't specify whom his remarks referred to, though they appear aimed at Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin, who has regularly attacked the United States over a bilateral dispute over softwood lumber exports. Last week Martin publicly criticized the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush for its approach on climate change, saying Washington should listen to the "global conscience" on the environment. Wilkins said emissions of greenhouse gases in the United States were, in fact, growing at a slower rate than in Canada. "I would respectfully submit to you that when it comes to a 'global conscience' the United States is walking the walk," he said. Canada generally tilts more to the left than the United States and opinion polls show most Canadians dislike U.S. President George W. Bush. © Reuters 2005.
Shouldn't we invade and annex the 55-60% of our own country that opposes the direction this country's going in and Bush's leadership first? I mean, just to shore up our base...
I am sure Bush is thinking of a good excuse to invade Canada. He would never invade a country without purpose though. yall know 'at.
The White House is really getting touchy. When they start worrying about what Canadian politicians are saying, they must really be on edge. If the French get all fussy again, then old George may bomb Paris.
Let's give the West Coast and New England to Canada, maybe the great lakes region too. I think everybody can win. Now where is that Jesusland pic?
Great. Since we haven't already pissed off enough peoplep, let's start pissing off our few remaining friends.
World Updates December 15, 2005 Don't dictate to me, Canada's Martin tells USA By Allan Dowd RICHMOND, British Columbia (Reuters) - Prime Minister Paul Martin escalated a war of words with the United States on Wednesday, telling Washington not to dictate to him what topics he can raise in the run-up to Canada's Jan. 23 election. But U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins, who warned Canadian politicians on Tuesday not to bash the United States as part of their campaigning, denied on Wednesday he was trying to control the election debate. Martin -- who has regularly attacked the U.S. stance on a bilateral trade dispute over softwood lumber and also criticized Washington's approach to climate change -- took aim at Wilkins's warning for a second consecutive day. "When it comes to defending Canadian values, when it comes to standing up for Canadian interests, I'm going to call it like I see it," he told reporters in a lumber yard in Richmond, British Columbia. "I am not going to be dictated to as to the subjects I should raise." Although Martin came to power in December 2003 promising to repair relations with the United States that were damaged by his predecessor's decision not to take part in the Iraq War, he has shown little hesitation in attacking Washington. The two sides are locked in a protracted dispute over the U.S. decision to slap tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber shipments on the grounds they are unfairly subsidized. Canada says its lumber producers are not subsidized. Ottawa is fighting the case through various trade panels and complains Washington is not respecting its obligations under the North American Free Trade Agreement. "This dispute with the United States demands leadership at the national level in Canada, even if that leadership happens to rankle some in the U.S.," said Martin, whose minority Liberal government fell last month over a corruption scandal. Martin may feel he is on safe ground politically, since polls show most Canadians dislike U.S. President George W. Bush. But Wilkins said the continued attacks could start undermining the close relationship between the two countries. Wilkins said his comments were aimed at improving relations between two major trading partners, and had "no intention of in any way affecting an election which is the business of Canadians." "I don't presume I can dictate to anybody," Wilkins said after addressing a forum in Ottawa. Martin also attacked Stephen Harper, leader of the main opposition Conservative party, saying he had been silent on the softwood lumber issue. Harper, who criticizes what he says is Martin's needless antagonism of the Bush administration, knows that his electoral chances could be fatally undermined if he allows himself to be portrayed as too pro-American. "I actually think the (U.S.) ambassador's intervention was inappropriate... I don't think foreign ambassadors should be expressing their views, or intervening in an election," Harper told reporters in Vancouver. But Jack Layton, leader of the left-leaning New Democratic Party, who has demanded the Liberals take a tougher line with Washington in the softwood fight, dismissed Martin's comments as "shameless posturing." "Whipping up the rhetoric about George Bush is very easy to do... Canadians have known that the Liberals will say anything in an election to get elected. I think now the ambassador has discovered the same thing," Layton said. Harper equated Martin's dealings with the United States on softwood to a kid who calls names but is afraid to fight. "He hasn't thrown a punch. He couldn't throw a punch to save his life," he said. (With reporting by Randall Palmer in Ottawa and Wency Leung in Vancouver) Copyright © 2005 Reuters link
http://economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5243221 Canadians, you might say, are the original anti-Americans, the people who rejected the American revolution, stayed loyal to Britain and inherited what Desmond Morton, a Canadian historian, has called “the cold, unprofitable remains of the continent”. But the chief cause of the friction is simply the great disparity between the neighbours. The United States has 300m people and a GDP of $12 trillion; Canada has 32m people and a GDP of $1 trillion. California alone is richer and more populous than Canada. As a sovereign country, however, Canada insists on being treated as America's equal. Such a relationship is bound to be fraught.
LOL. The irony. Yes, as long as you trivialize the sovereignty of a country and you continue to imply that they are only worthy of cleaning your shoes, then yes, such a relationship is bound to be fraught.
Well, based on our foreign policy over the last 4 years, the thread title should read: "US: Hey World: **** off"
