What's up wit dis Canuck? Eh?

[Uncle Deedah]

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien has linked the Sept. 11 suicide attacks to the perceived arrogance and selfishness of the United States and the West

Chretien is the first leader of a western major nation to suggest that the suicide hijackers might have been motivated by what he describes as the misguided policies of a rich and powerful West that did not understand the need for restraint.

The veteran prime minister, who has been in power for nine years, told the CBC in an interview aired late on Wednesday that there was "a lot of resentment" about the way in which powerful nations treated the increasing number of poor and dispossessed people in the world.

"You know, you cannot exercise your powers to the point of humiliation for others. That is what the Western world -- not only the Americans, the Western world -- has to realize. Because they (the have-nots) are human beings too. There are long-term consequences if you don't look hard at the reality in 10 or 20 (or) 30 years from now," he said.

Chretien continued: "And I do think the Western world is getting too rich in relation to the poor world and necessarily, you know, we're looked upon as being arrogant, self-satisfied greedy and with no limits. And Sept. 11 is an occasion for me to realize it even more."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020912/wl_canada_nm/canad a_attack_blame_col_1

Pretty nasty talk coming from the leader of a country that spends less per capita on helping poor countries than the US does. Yes, those poor terrorists. All financially broke, like the millionaire Bin Ladin. And coming from such dirt poor countries like Saudi Arabia.

It's America's fault that poor nations like Zimbabe can't get their shit together...too busy spearing each other and raping young children (in order to avoid AIDS) to make something of themselves.

Well guess what you arrogant Canuck, I work my fuckin ass off for what I have, and so do the VAST majority of other Americans, and I'll see you dipped in shit before I feel bad about it.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 14, 2002 09:53 AM: Message edited by: Uncle Deedah ]</font>

[Tricia the Canuck]

Unk, welcome to the majority. Most Canadians aren't very happy with Chretien, either. He has, in consequence, anounced his retirement - but he wants to stick around long enough to actually make a name for himself in our history. Looks like the method he's chosen to do so involves US bashing, something I hate to admit is a frequent Canuckian passtime. We regard you as a mammoth who isn't too careful where you stick your feet - not easy for the little rodent to your north to live beside. I haven't heard or read about this speech, but then I've been working nights again. Would it do any good to apologize for him? Canuckians as a whole are appalled by the violence of 9/11 and although we're not pleased to have had Americans shoot and kill a bunch of our soldiers in Afghanistan, we supported having them there.

[Desert Dog]

Are you sure you are spelling his name right?

To me it should be spelled "Cretin"....

I have no use for his type...

Chasin' the idiot around Quebec...

The Dog

[JustPassingBy]

Unk,

Most of the Canadian newspapers have ridiculed Chretien for his statements. <BLOCKQUOTE><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><table border="0" width="90%" bgcolor="#333333" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0"><tr><td width="100%"><table border="0" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" bgcolor="#FF9900"><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#DDDDDD"><font size=2 face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Why on earth would Prime Minister Jean Chretien blame America for terrorist attacks on not only the U.S., but Western civilization in a CBC-TV interview scheduled to run on or around Sept. 11 -- a day of remembrance and dedication.

And make no mistake -- it was America he was slamming, using the euphemism of blaming "arrogant, self-satisfied, greedy" western countries for "humiliation" that provokes others to resort to terror </font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>PM's low blow

[Lon Frank]

I?ve often contemplated the wisdom of isolationism. The only civilized country to actively promote this concept was feudal Japan, prior to the forced arrival of the Americans in 1853. During this time, their culture, knowledge, religious and educational ideologies and mores were distilled within their society. This was a time of centuries of local war lords, feudal strife, and ultimately the rise of powerful Shogunates. But, for better or worse, they progressed along a path of civilization of their own device, and preserved a unique national identity. They as a people had little knowledge or need of outside ideas or materials. Indeed, until the US occupation after WWII, they failed to even realize the absolute necessity of western goods and ?enlightened? thought.

As I sat in college classes many years ago, yawning from a late night of waiting tables in order to pay my tuition, I took note of the Indian, Arab and Asian students. They were better dressed, better funded, and subsequently, better educated than I. I often wondered if they were being grounded in American society, or just here to carry back to their own societies that which was being made available in American universities. I wondered if they would be forever friends, grateful for the experience, or if they should someday use our shared knowledge against us.

As I watched American technology build overseas oil empires, and American consumers pour endless amounts of money into economies of countries like Dubai or Saudi Arabia, I wondered if they might come to appreciate the American way of life, or just the American dollar. I wondered if they would be forever friends, grateful for the experience, or if they should someday use our shared wealth against us.

I watched a news program lately which was a series of interviews of foreign journalists as they criticized the United States, and made veiled or blatant observations about our invasive foreign policies. In each instance, I wondered how many American dollar were being spent in that particular country to fight disease, hunger or homelessness. In each case, I wondered what we got from that particular country in return that we could not exist without. Would our economy collapse if not for the cheap shoes of Taiwan? Would we freeze without the clothes manufactured in sweatshops in a dozen third-world countries? Would our way of life disappear from the earth without French wines, Italian olives, Turkish trinkets or Ukrainian underwear?

And so, occasionally, I think about the concept of isolationism. Yet, I know that America is the great experiment, the human melting pot. Give me your poor, your wretched, your huddled masses, and I will give them opportunity for freedom, for wealth, and for pursuit of happiness. And is this not the very flaw in our experiment? That, should we somehow distill our ideologies would they not be the desire to share what we found here with all mankind. Could our own isolation exist without giving to others the love of human rights, the compassion of the fortunate?

Perhaps this flaw will betray us someday. The American experiment may fail, our way of life may change for better or for worse. But, until then, I think we will evolve rather than distill, and in that evolution, we will stumble and we will soar. And the world will love us. Or they will not.

[pugsly]

Don't sweat it Unk, who care what those limp-wristed liberal Canucks think? We'll show them who's in charge when we go slaughter a few million more sand niggers over in Iraq, eh? I think Mr. Cretin will learn to keep his mouth shut after we give him a little reminder of who is the most powerful country. He must have forgotten how close Canada is to the US. If he mouths off anymore Bush can just blow them off the face of the Earth and take over their land!

[Peter Errington]

I don't think this Pugsly is a sincere person. I've read and re-read the above post a number of times, and that's what I have concluded.

If a person is not sincere, possibly that person is a troll.

Oh my God! Maybe it's THE troll.

[pugsly]

Huh?? I'm just agreeing with The Unk Man! We donate more money to poor countries than Canada does, so we're entitled to blow the piss out of them and take over if we want to. When Canada donates as much as we do, then they can lecture us. Until then, money talks and bullshit walks!

[larsguy]

Ha puggles/trollboy, Peter has got your number.

[larsguy]

Pigsly---

If you can find a quote of mine in which I ever opposed anyone expressing their views, please post it. I don't remember everything I've ever said but I don't think I ever even hinted at censorship.

As far as your own views are concerned, they seem to be limited to kicking the aunthill.