Disgusting
Pierre Tristam calls it The Hounding of Maher Arar, while Glenn Greenwald talks of a Tale of two governments. Ellroon notices that Canada is getting a bit testy with us.
In the linked CBC article retired Canadian diplomat, Jeremy Kinsman, channels his mother’s people from Texas and writes: From one ambassador to another: Mr. Wilkins, cut the bull.
The facts indicate that the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, is something of jerk, who manages to insult Canadians and their government on a regular basis. I’ve written about him before on other US-Canadian issues. He seems to find just the wrong words and manages to do the near impossible feat of really pissing off the Canadians.
Ellroon covers the diplomatic part of the article but further down is a great piece of snark from a Canadian politician:
In the innocent days prior to 9/11, one of Paul Martin’s memorable lines as finance minister was his sceptical reaction to an appropriations request for a big increase in the Canadian intelligence budget.
At the time, Martin noted that the U.S. spends billions on intelligence and still hasn’t a clue, whereas Canada gets the same result for nothing.
If you are interested in the mindset of the people in charge of the War on Terror™, read about the activities of Pierre de Lancre during the Labourd witch-hunt of 1609. [For Pratchett fans, this is the source of the name for the country.]
Keep in mind that the US is a “civilized” country, and waterboarding is nothing like dunking people suspected of witchcraft. [Yeah, right.]
7 comments
wilkins – another mouthpiece for a despicable administration that brings shame on our whole country. I am more ashamed every day. In a naive way Americans have loved their country “right or wrong.” Icons like the White House evoked a generally affectionate response. Now I begin to hate even that innocent building because of its occupant.
The US may well show up on terrorist watch lists of other nations.
As a regular listener to CBC Radio News, whenever Mr. Wilkins says something, you get the distinct impression that the news reader is doing his best to hold back his or her contempt — and not always succeeding — or they have this overwhelming urge to cue up “Dueling Banjos” as background music.
Mr. Wilkins’ comments about the Arar case were arrogant and demeaning to both us and the Canadians. The only reason, aside from his GOP connections, that he got the job as ambassador was because he was the only one Bush knew that had been to Canada; he had once gone to St. Catherine’s to get a two-four.
I suggest Mr. Wilkins go skating on the Rideau Canal. In July.
One of the truly stupid things is that the new prime minister of Canada is a Conservative who ran on a platform of improving relations with the US, and we have done nothing but block every move he has made to do that. I read somewhere that the RCMP has been told to no longer share information with the US as we has been classified as not complying with human rights guarantees.
I think that Bush doesn’t trust anyone that speaks more than one language than he does. And I’m not referring to the fact that Prime Minister Harper speaks French.
I think you are on to something, Bobby. In the Soviet Union, people, even trusted Party members, who were not part of the KGB were not allowed to take vacations in foreign countries where they spoke the language.
None of the “political” ambassadors seem to have any facility in the language of the country they serve in, unless the language is English.
“I think that Bush doesn’t trust anyone that speaks more than one language than he does. And I’m not referring to the fact that Prime Minister Harper speaks French.”
But Mustang Bobby…Bush doesn’t even speak ENGLISH!