Articles of the Month

Canadamerica?

Someone help me out here. I thought I was living in Canada. Well, lately it doesn't seem that way. Between being threatened by terrorists and being criticized by much of the world, well, it just doesn't feel so cozy anymore.

One of the more popular perceptions of Canada, as America's 'little brother', has always been something that I have resented. Not because I think we're just as good or better, but because I don't particularly like the idea of being related to a country that bombs others at will, assassinates foreign presidents subsequently instating dictators, and trains and funds groups that either are, or soon could be, considered terrorist organizations.

But forget all that, they never did anything to us, right? And we've always been there, right behind them (or in front of them) defending freedom. Liberty and justice for all. Until one fateful September day when, as the media seemed fond of putting it, 'the whole world stopped'. Yet another perfect example of the American illusion that the world revolves around it. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not HAPPY that innocent people died. Quite the opposite, and I am definitely not in support of Al-Quaeda or any terrorist organizations. Here in Canadamerica, however, media has proclaimed Osama Bin Laden the 'bad guy' in blissful ignorance of the atrocities that the American government commits overseas on a daily basis as well as the fact that Bin Laden is not simply a religious fanatic with groundless hate for America. But I digress...

Canada, as per usual, stood by our American neighbors. No hard feelings after American 'friendly fire' killed four Canadians and wounded eight in Afghanistan in April of this year. All the while, the threats poured in from the east aimed towards Americans and unspecified allies. Mid-November, however, with a tape aired on Arabic television it became clear that this was personal. A voice presumed to be that of Bin Laden declaring to America's allies, as much as to America itself, that "As you kill, so shall you be killed" naming Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Australia and of course, our home and native land, Canada.

It was bound to happen, I suppose. My main concern is that we're fighting someone else's fight. Canada has, and is proud of, a history of coming to the rescue of those in need but in my opinion, this is not necessarily the case. America picked this fight and is now expecting the rest of the world to help bail them out. Bush personally welcomed new countries to NATO recently, former communist countries, and spoke to them about their new responsibilities to fight terrorism and injustice on the basis that they knew what it was like dealing with tyranny (I won't go into the irony on that one...)

Bush is also urging Canada to increase its military spending. Granted, our equipment is sadly out of date, in many cases falling apart, and Canada has long been the butt of jokes along the lines of 'Canadian military' being an oxymoron. We have always taken it with good humour. Why? Because we've never felt the need to blow anything up, nor has anyone else threatened to do so to us. We've had better things to spend our money on. Until now. I think Defence Minister John McCallum has the right idea: "I would not urge the president of the United States or the U.S. Ambassador (Paul Cellucci) to do my job...I think that is a Canadian matter, I think that a number of Canadians were a little bit ticked off . . . So while Mr. Bush may be asking for what I'm asking for, I'm not asking for his help." I think I speak for most when I say, for the majority of the time, help from south of the border is the kind of help we don't need.