02.06.2012 07:24 AM

The choice

Will Harper choose to raise the plight of men, women and children now being slaughtered in Syria on a massive scale, following China’s veto of sanctions?

Or will he choose to sell oil first?

7 Comments

  1. Mark McLaughlin says:

    It’s always disingenuous to use a false choice like to criticize the decision making process. The political turmoil in Syria only INCREASES the desire for both sides to work out a secure energy corridor between us.

    Countries don’t halt mutually beneficial economic activity over political disagreements concerning third parties. These days you only see economic sanctions against nations when there is zero blowback at home. It’s the reason why trade is a powerful hedge against war.

    He will sell oil.

    Syria has no real capacity to cause trouble to either Canada or China (apart from putting upward pressure on the price of oil and we’re an exporter remember). We, like the rest of the West should step back more often and let the middle east deal with their own internal political squabbles.

  2. frmr disgruntled Con now happy Lib says:

    Wise man that Jean Chretien…..I do believe, however, this was before China was salivating at the prospect of Alberts tar sands bitumen flowing freely to West coast tanker terminals…….

  3. Tim says:

    I am not usually a fan of yours Gord but good work really good work on that one. I belive there were some similar comments from Iggy and Bob Rae at that time too

  4. Tim says:

    Perhaps this is also a good opportunity to bring up Pierre Trudeau’s 1976 trip to Cuba when Cuban troops were directly involved in fighting a civil war in Angola.

    Here is a link to a old news clip from CBC for those not around at the time.

    http://archives.cbc.ca/politics/prime_ministers/clips/13244/

  5. ASME says:

    Where does Russia enter? Did they not veto as well?

  6. Ted H says:

    He can raise the issue with China just so he can say he did but obviously (Harper and all of his minister’s favourite word, have you ever noticed?) he does not have a lot of Leverage as Jean Chretien noted. The difference is, Harper claims to hold everyone to a higher standard of morality, a standard he cannot hope to enforce. Chretien was just being realistic.

  7. Ted B says:

    Interestingly, Mr. Chretien was responding to this statement from Harper:

    “I think Canadians want us to promote our trade relations worldwide, and we do that, but I don’t think Canadians want us to sell out important Canadian values,” Harper said.

    Chinese President Hu Jintao won’t meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Hanoi, which is being seen by some as a snub over Canada’s criticism of China’s human rights record.
    (Kyodo News/Associated Press) “They don’t want us to sell that out to the almighty dollar.”

    Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss… except without the deficits, the out-of-control spending, the dumb-on-crime agenda, the know-nothing policies and contempt of Parliament.

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