Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Dear Ambassador Wilkins: Just bite me, OK?


This article is so teeth-grindingly irritating, I'm going to reproduce it in full. Feel free to identify the inanities, idiocies and hypocrisies from south of the border. It's not hard.

OTTAWA (CP) - The Bush administration issued a sharp, public rebuke Tuesday to Prime Minister Paul Martin for dragging the Canadian-U.S. relationship into the federal election campaign.

Ambassador David Wilkins said Canada risks damaging one of the world's best relationships by focusing on short-term political gain. "It may be smart election-year politics to thump your chest and criticize your friend and your No. 1 trading partner constantly," Wilkins said in a speech to the Canadian Club at the historic Chateau Laurier Hotel, next door to Parliament Hill.

"But it is a slippery slope, and all of us should hope that it doesn't have a long-term impact on the relationship."

America may be an easy target, said Wilkins, "but the United States should not be on your ballot."

Wilkins did not name the prime minister directly but it was clear from the context of the remarks that he was referring to Martin.

Martin, who touted a more mature relationship with the United States as one his priorities when he became prime minister in 2003, has been talking a hard line against Washington throughout this autumn's heated election run-up.

The prime minister has been particularly critical of the U.S. position on softwood lumber duties and failure to ratify the Kyoto accord on greenhouse gas emissions.

Wilkins, a long-time supporter and confidant of President George W. Bush, did not mention Martin by name in the speech, but left absolutely no doubt who he was targeting.

Less than a week after Martin raised hackles in Washington by specifically naming the United States for lacking a global conscience on climate change, Wilkins threw the words back at the prime minister.

He pointed out that America's record is far superior to Canada's on curbing greenhouse gas emissions

"I would respectfully submit to you that when it comes to a 'global conscience,' the United States is walking the walk," said the ambassador.

Liberals have denied they are using anti-American rhetoric as election fodder. But a senior Liberal campaign organizer was clearly delighted at news coverage last week that suggested Canada's ambassador in Washington, Frank McKenna, had been called on the carpet by the Americans over Martin's undiplomatic climate change talk.

Wilkins also mentioned the softwood dispute, noting that the U.S. Commerce Dept. cut the contentious tariffs on Canadian lumber in half last week.

He defended the continuing American occupation in Iraq, saying "freedom is on the march."

And on looming passport requirements for Canada-U.S. travellers, Wilkins said the two countries can work together to mitigate the impact but that Canadians have to appreciate the new American mentality.

"Bottom line: Canada should understand that 9-11 forever changed my country," Wilkins said of the September 2001 terrorist attacks.

What a freakin' jackass.

WHAT THE HELL: I'll give you the first example of typical Republican dishonesty from the above. There's Wilkins' lying bullshit here:

Wilkins also mentioned the softwood dispute, noting that the U.S. Commerce Dept. cut the contentious tariffs on Canadian lumber in half last week.

What a shame that I've already blogged on that back here:

In a decision that will save Canadian lumber companies roughly $600-million a year, the U.S. Commerce Department said yesterday it was nearly halving its 20-per-cent duty...

The U.S. lumber industry was quick to point out the new lower rate was due almost entirely to the stronger loonie, which lessens the impact of the alleged Canadian subsidies, and not a sudden change of heart by the Bush administration about whether Canada illegally props up its lumber industry.

Nor does the decision affect the highly contentious issue of who pockets the roughly $5-billion in duties collected by the United States since the dispute began in May of 2002.

Jesus, is every single member of that administration nothing but a lying con artist?

4 comments:

Jason Cherniak said...

I felt the same way when I read it. The scary part is that I think he believes every word that he said.

Lindsay Stewart said...

so i steal millions, make that, billions of dollars. when i decide to cut the amount i steal in half, then my victim should be thankful and happy. otherwise, my victims are just ingrates and i might take offense. ain't that groovy.

Scotian said...

"Jesus, is every single member of that administration nothing but a lying con artist?" Candian Cynic

With the departure of Armitage and Powell I would have to say YES. Those two at least occasionally did tell the truth, nowadays I see no one in that Administration that would recognize objective truth if it came up, bit them on the asses, gave them oral satisfisfaction and then showered them with billions of dollars.

CC said...

pretty shaved ape writes:

so i steal millions, make that, billions of dollars. when i decide to cut the amount i steal in half, then my victim should be thankful and happy.

But the amount being stolen has not been cut in half. Note that the U.S. lumber industry itself admitted that that reduction in the duty was "due almost entirely to the stronger loonie."

In short, all the reduction in the duty did was to accommodate to the new exchange rate. The theft continues unabated.