Canada's courageous stand against ISIS, Russia, etc etc

60 years ago, Canada had an independent foreign policy, biased in favour of keeping the world from descending into another world war. For example, it was Canada, acting within the (then) United Nations, who brokered the deal that resolved the Suez Canal Crisis. For his initiative, then Foreign Affairs Minister Lester Pearson got a Nobel prize, of which many Canadians are still proud.

What a difference six decades makes. Today Canada is nothing more or less than the lapdog of Armerica, ready to yell "Ready, aye, ready!" not to Britain but to President Obarmy's call for yet another "coalition of the (un)willing" to fight yet another war against terrorism and ISIS/ISIL, Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Boko Haram and all those other nasty Islamic extremists (who of course do not represent the peaceful and moderate followers of the Prophet).

There's also the matter of Israel. If the Prez pronounces the USA Israel's greatest friend, Steve Harpoon says he's wrong, that Canada is an even greater friend of the Zionist entity and its Chosen People. He and his foreign minister, Nancy Baird, will don a kippa at a moment's notice and proclaim loudly their opposition to any peace plan that requires the Jews to give back even one acre of the land they stole from the Palestinians.

As for the conflict -- not yet a civil war, just a conflict -- in the Ukraine, Canada is on the right side. You can be sure of that. That's what Mr. Harper told Ukrainian President Poroshenko on his visit to Ottawa earlier this week. [That was the day before Mr. P. went to Washington. Ed.] Don't worry, Steve said, we stand behind you and won't let one acre of Ukrainian soil be occupied by the evil Russians! Except for the part they've already occupied, of course.

Yes, there's lots of tough talk in the Canadian air these days. Messrs Harper and Baird to be having a contest to see who can cry war the loudest. But when it comes to action, it's another matter.

Canada has agreed to send its only aircraft carrier, shown here, to the Black Sea to shore up the Ukrainian defences against the invading Russians. But that's about all.

Item: Canada is giving millions of dollars worth of humanitarian and "non-lethal" military aid to Ukraine, but when Mr. Poroshenko asked for actual guns and bullets, the response was, "Errr, no, we won't be doing that."
"But," said Mr. Poroshenko, "we're not asking you to send troops, just weapons and ammunition."
"Errr, no," said Mr. Harpoon. "We won't be doing that."

Item: Canada has actually sent troops to Iraq -- boots on the ground -- 69 pairs of them, to be exact. [I heard it was 96. The numbers are so much alike. Ed.] They will be there for, errr, 30 days, counting from around Labour Day, which means they'll be coming home before Canadian Thanksgiving. By that time, of course, the war will be over... right?!

And of course the Canadian "special ops" guys [And gals? Maybe not in Iraq. Ed.] will be there as "trainers and advisors", not in any kind of combat role. As Walt pointed out when Mr. Harpoon was welshing on his promise to bring the Canucks home from Afghanistan, the jihadis don't pause while taking aim to ask if you're a fighter or an advisor. Trainers and fighting troops come home in the same kind of body bag.

The braggadocio of Messrs. Harper and Baird is really quite astounding. Writing in Maclean's, Scott Feschuk sums up their big talk this way: People of the world, Canada is here with its awesome weapons: words, and standing. Walt calls his excellent commentary, "Harper to world: We are angry, and we have adjectives" a must read!