Annex Canada?

Thomas McCullock enjoys upsetting my apple cart. He's done it again, sending me this. Just to brighten my day, no doubt. You're a pal, Thomas.

A quote from the article, in the Globe and Mail

The minority Liberal government will have to decide by year's end whether to renew the mandate of a joint Canada-U.S. military planning group, which has been working on an ambitious project that could bring the armies and navies of both countries under a single command for North American defense...

One can easily imagine the many, many, ways such a deal could go horribly wrong for Canada and Canadians. On the bright side, Canadians would not have to worry about a flood of American draft dodgers coming up here. We'll be too busy retreating to the bush (bush is forest, or 'the woods', in Canadian) or attempting to flee to Europe and Asia.

Unlike some of the more frantic posters at Vive le Canada, I think this is not likely to come about, but the mere possibility of American troops on Canadian soil is intolerable. This is a President and an administration that has shown a marked propensity for 'extreme solutions' to fictional problems.

This is a government that has no respect for it's own constitutional and democratic traditions. A government that is openly hostile to the rights of citizens of other countries.

America is a dangerous friend. Let us not forget that the occupational forces in Iraqi are now there at the "invitation" of the appointed Iraqi government.

America has few friends because to be Americas' friend is to do as you are told, what ever the price. Remember how Americans reacted, to France and Canada, for not going along with Bush's personal crusade against Saddam and Iraq.

America is never really your friend. The new covenant in Washington sees itself as a historical end unto itself. No other interests are valid, the cost to you, is never too high, for their purposes.

I reread the preceding paragraphs and I want to say, "no, that is too hard, too cynical". I wish I could say that. I wish I could feel moved to edit, to soften my view. But that is how it looks. This is not the America that I once, long ago, had such hope and belief in. This is the New America. Don't trust it.

I get no pleasure from saying these things. It fills me with grief that our once noble, revolutionary democratic experiment, has evolved into an imperial republic, bent on the destruction of it's founding principles. Not only at home, but in the world, as well.

Looking at the current state of American democracy, it is a very sad sick joke when Bush and members of his cabinet tell the world that they are spreading democracy to the heathens.

On a different note: A bit of home cooking in the form of an interview on a Mussel Shoals, Alabama radio station. Baghdad Buddy, is an Army Reserve Major stationed in Iraq, this is his last 'show' before returning to Alabama, on leave. Go there, click on "Baghdad Buddy" on their home page.

For Canadians and others not familiar with the feel of local media in American cities, check this out. This is mainstream small town radio, all over America. No questions, no doubts, just wave the flag and god bless us lucky folks who are free to buy anything we can afford.

The Major who understands his political responsibilities does a good job of painting the Bush correct image but does have a slip of the tongue when he describes the events in Iraq as an insurgent war. He quickly covers himself by calling opposition fighters "exturgents", as "they mostly come from outside the country."

The Iraqi people love us, of course.