Canada Stands Tall: In Spite of Liberalism
 |
| Premier Brad Wall PM Stephen Harper Diefenbaker Canada Centre U of S |
“Never has such a torrent of abuse been poured on any Canadian figure as that during the years from 1960 to 1965. Never have the wealthy and the clever been so united as they were in their joint attack on Mr. John Diefenbaker”.- George Grant, Lament for a Nation
The turn from Diefenbaker to Pearson-Kennedy was a turn from a unique and indigenous Canadian nationalist way to the American liberal and imperial way. - George Grant, Lament for a Nation
The 1963 election was fought on the issue of whether Canada would take warheads for Bomarc missiles. Pearson, following Kennedy, said we should and would. Diefenbaker, much to the anger and chagrin of many in his party, said a defiant and firm No to Kennedy’s orders. This was just the tip of the iceberg, though. Diebenbaker had, again and again, opposed and thwarted Kennedy’s plans for Canada. Diefenbaker had questioned the way Kennedy had handled the Cuban missile crises, he had initiated trade ties with Cuba and China when Kennedy had put a trade embargo on them, and he refused to join the Organization of American States (a front for American interests in Latin America).
In short, Diefenbaker, as a conservative, locked horns with Kennedy’s liberalism each step of the way. Grant makes all this quite clear. If Diefenbaker had merely wanted power, he would, like Pearson, have dutifully genuflected to Kennedy. He didn’t, and he paid the price for doing so. - Ron Dart Clarion Journal, book review of Lament for a Nation
“The overriding theme from 1989 to 2004 is one of decline,” Greenhill writes, “decline in our reputation and relevance with the United States, decline in our leadership role in development, and decline in the international significance of our peacekeeping and other international security activities.” Only two Canadian leaders were identified as having made a difference on the world stage: Brian Mulroney, who leveraged his influence with the US onto the multilateral agenda, and Lloyd Axworthy, for his promotion of a human security agenda.- THE DECLINE OF CANADA’S INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD — WHAT IS TO BE DONE FOR IT?
 | ||
| My name is Bono and I'm a Rock Star? |
Celebrity Photo Op - Bono, the front-man of rock-band U2, has come under fire after it was revealed by the New York Post that his anti-poverty foundation, 'One', gives only one per-cent of its funds to charity. The non-profit organization was set up to by the 50-year old, and received almost 15 million in donations in 2008, however, the newspaper reports that only 190,000 of that figure was donated to good causes. Funny thing about celebrity endorsements from limousines liberals -Karma.
 |
| PM Paul Martin |
This winter, as the government drafts its new foreign policy, it must think more broadly and ambitiously, considering interests more than values. It must be about hard power more than soft power — a real military, a real aid program and a real foreign service, with the resources each of them needs. Defence spending in Canada has now fallen to one percent of Canada’s gross domestic product, far less than NATO expects of its members. Aid in Canada is about 0.28 percent of GDP, a little more than half of what it was 30 years ago and a little more than a third of the international standard set by a blue-ribbon panel chaired by Lester Pearson and other luminarites in 1969. The foreign service is being re-organized, but it needs more money, too. The three D’s? Canada will have to struggle mightily to ensure that they no longer mean disarmament, disinvestment
and disinterest.There is no magic: it is about money. Martin will have to match rhetoric and resources, doing what this government and previous governments have been unable to do in recent years in imagining Canada and the world. -MARTIN’S FIRST YEAR ON FOREIGN POLICY — THE RHETORIC OF GOOD INTENTIONS
and disinterest.There is no magic: it is about money. Martin will have to match rhetoric and resources, doing what this government and previous governments have been unable to do in recent years in imagining Canada and the world. -MARTIN’S FIRST YEAR ON FOREIGN POLICY — THE RHETORIC OF GOOD INTENTIONS
This minority parliament led by a Conservative Prime Minister has weathered a global recession the best in the developed economies. Canada is once again punching above her weight on the global stage. As expected in every government critics will look to the "golden age" of diplomacy and try to invoke a nostalgia that was not sustainable.
 |
| PM Stephen Harper Laureen, Hong Kong |
The government of Canada led by our PM Stephen Harper is not afraid to be raise human right abuses in China. Conservatives have a tradition with Progress Conservative PM Mackenzie King fighting to remove South Africa in the Commonwealth for its racist treatment of it black citizens. *(edited poster noted mistake)
At the Prime Ministers’ Conference in 1961, Verwoerd formally applied for South Africa to remain in the Commonwealth. The prime ministers were divided. Diefenbaker broke the deadlock by proposing that the conference not reject South Africa’s application, but instead states in a communiqué that racial equality was a principle of the Commonwealth. This was adopted, although Britain and New Zealand disagreed with Diefenbaker’s proposal. South Africa could not accept the communiqué. At that conference, the Afro Asians commanded six of the eleven votes, but it was not necessary for Nigeria, Malaya, Ceylon, India and Pakistan to cast their votes. South Africa withdrew its application and exits the Commonwealth.
According to Peter Newman, this was “Diefenbaker’s most important contribution to international politics … Diefenbaker flew home, a hero.”
Progressive Conservative PM Brian Mulroney continued the fight and won sanctions against South Africa.
At the Prime Ministers’ Conference in 1961, Verwoerd formally applied for South Africa to remain in the Commonwealth. The prime ministers were divided. Diefenbaker broke the deadlock by proposing that the conference not reject South Africa’s application, but instead states in a communiqué that racial equality was a principle of the Commonwealth. This was adopted, although Britain and New Zealand disagreed with Diefenbaker’s proposal. South Africa could not accept the communiqué. At that conference, the Afro Asians commanded six of the eleven votes, but it was not necessary for Nigeria, Malaya, Ceylon, India and Pakistan to cast their votes. South Africa withdrew its application and exits the Commonwealth.
According to Peter Newman, this was “Diefenbaker’s most important contribution to international politics … Diefenbaker flew home, a hero.”
Progressive Conservative PM Brian Mulroney continued the fight and won sanctions against South Africa.
 |
| PM Pierre Trudeau |
I first worked with him in 1966 when he was a member of the Canadian Delegation to the U.N. General Assembly and became so annoyed about our instructions on dealing with South Africa that he declined to deliver them
(I had to) What were to instructions in 1966 to South Africa that Pierre was reluctant to deliver? |
| PM Lester Pearson |
The fact is that the Trudeau review did reflect a significant change of emphasis in our foreign policy toward realism and away from the honest-broker or save the-world role. Not surprisingly, Lester Pearson was unhappy about the review in that it failed to make the pursuit of peace and security Canada’s highest priority.
 |
| Liberal-Democrats will scrap our F35 program and repeat Sea King fiasco |
Do we want to be led by a Liberal?
or
Do we develop our own national voice with a real military?
