LETTER TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (1)
Dear America,
First of all, let me say that I have lots of friends down your way…all of whom are intelligent, generous, tolerant and good-hearted. But I find they are also very confused. They’re not quite sure where you’re going as a country. But they honestly don’t know why they’re confused or really how to express it.
Perhaps it’s the mixed messages your leader
sends out. Perhaps it’s that they don’t really understand what is meant by “the war on terror”. Or perhaps it’s because they don’t like the fact that almost everyone in the rest of the world dislikes and distrusts you and don’t really understand why.
By the way do you really like your leader?
This isn’t personal, America…just trying to be friendly.
Incidentally, your ambassador up in Ottawa here has said that I should apologize to you for not joining in the invasion of Iraq back in ’03. Sorry, but I can’t do that. My leader at the time took a close look at that deal and said he thought it probably wouldn’t work out. I actually agreed with him, although a few people, including my present leader Mr. Steve Harper, whom you’ve met, did think it was a really good idea. (I get the feeling though that in your heart of hearts, you also wish that George W. hadn’t done it).
I know your President wants a victory there, but honestly, – and I think you might agree- he probably ain’t gonna get it. I’m sorry to seem flippant about it but I have the sneaking suspicion that if he took your advice, he’d be pulling the troops out now.
(By the way, does he ever listen to you?)
Secondly, I know how upsetting it was to you…that nasty business back in 2001… when those Saudi Arabian terrorists attacked the Twin Towers in New York and brought them down. I was upset too, because some of my people lost their lives there. But while I’m on that subject, there’s another thing. I know you don’t like uppity Me giving you advice- but I’m just wondering- do you really think it’s a good idea to sell 10 billion dollars worth of high tech weapons to the Saudi Arabians, seeing as how that’s where the majority of those terrorists came from. Just wondering.
You may not have noticed but the Saudi’s are a bit shaky these days. There are some heavy rumours about a revolution there, and I’m deathly afraid that if those weapons you want to sell them fall into the hands of the wrong people…it could be bad. As you know, I seldom agree with the Israeli’s, even though 
Mr. Harper thinks they can do no wrong…in this case I’m with them. my best advice America- hold off on the sale of high tech weaponry to those guys over in Saudi.
<Steve
Thirdly, I know you hate my general approach to foreign policy, what with my support for Cuba and the fact that so many of my people spend their winter vacations down there instead of in Florida. Then too, there was that whole Iran-Contra thing, when we supported the democratically elected government of Nicaragua, which your guys were trying to overthrow. And even further back…we got bad vibes from you when we supported that other democratically elected government in Chile. You know- where your CIA got involved and helped install the Pinochet dictatorship.
Goodness, America, I feel like I’m coming down on you a bit hard. Please don’t think it’s because you screwed us on the softwood lumber deal and trashed the Free Trade Agreement, not at all. Just trying to be friendly.
I don’t have quite enough space to finish this letter right now, so I’ll finish it off next time.
In the meantime, America, I wish you the best.
Sincerely, Your humble friend,
Canada.
Yes, indeed. Do WE know where we’re going either?
Six more body-bags today.
Poor buggers, their sad families.
In USA information was/is/has been made available on the forward-ordering of body bags (Halliburton…?) for US casualties returning from Iraq. Tens of thousands of ‘em.
How many does Supreme Warlord Stevie and our Min. of Defence have stashed in readiness?
I think we should be told.
The rate of returning(filled) body-bags is the only accurate time-calibration for our tragic stupidity in Afghanistan.
Bean-counters/bureaucratic bloatees in MOD wouldn’t want to have embarassing warehouses full of zippered vinyl after our dumb “war” has shamefully collapsed, would they, yet body-bags are hardly something you order “just in time”…….
Like, Sheila Fraser would be onto it.
So…how many?
Anthony
Port Elgin
Sheila Fraser. The Auditor Supreme! Yes…strangely quiet is Sheila these days. Ever since Harper got elected, nary a peep out of her. Maybe I’m just cynical…but I do wonder about it.
And as where to WE are going as a nation…I don’t ever remember feeling this uncertain about the future.
I noticed a gross reference in one of our journals that passes for a newspaper. The army wasn’t sure whether the men in the Lav were killed by the explosion, or died in what the army calls a “cookover”…that is when men are burned to death inside those vehicles by exploding and melting ammunition. (incidentally…where are those tanks we flew over?)
As to the body bag matter…perhaps we can be comforted by the ever upfront Canadian Colonel Ryan Jestin who categorized the death of one soldier as “difficult” but the loss of 6 soldiers as “a tragedy”.
He ought be court-martialled for that remark.
Afghanistan, Iraq, Darfur, Iran and on and on and on. To Zimbabwe, today.
But for once I don’t blame USA, I blame their poodle-nation Ook across the pond…
Time for a second look at Harold Wilson, ’60s UK leftist-supreme who championed Mugabe against the evils of white rule in Rhodesia, now called Zimbabwe….
Now their Conference of Catholic bishops is pleading for world intervention because of staggering inflation, unemployment, brutality and corruption. Incidentally, Mugabe is one of their own.
Rhodesia’s Ian Smith was right on the money to “immediately ban” Mugabe’s hoodlum-political aspirations.
Where are such leaders today?
I happen to be old enough to remember Harold Wilson schmoozing the workin’-class Beatles lads with MBEs. I also remember him presiding over this horrible change in African social order.
In response to Anthony.
Yes, and why aren’t we actually hearing about the body count? Not only that, but we are also not hearing about the thousands of returning vets with amputations, those I maimed and blinded. Not to mention those who are desperately depressed. We cannot even begin to imagine the future for our returning vets and their families. The effects will be seen throughout their entire lives and the burden has not even been realized. How ridiculous is it that men who are clinically depressed are being sent back for their third and fourth tour, because there are no troops to replace them? And on top of this point, is that many are reservists. Reservists who never enlisted as regular army, and who are not here in our own country to assist in emergency, or to protect our own country.
Speaking of Halliburton, citing an article I recently read, “The giant conglomerate’s logistics and construction unit builds housing, delivers mail and provides cafeteria services to 150,000 US troops in Iraq. Its oilfield services unit is in charge of repairing Iraq’s oil production facilities.” (Which we destroyed) “Halliburton’s contracts are worth more than $4.5 billion a year, about one-fifth of its annual revenues”…..”In one case, Halliburton billed the government $27.4 million for a shipment of natural gas from Kuwait that cost the company $82,000.”…..”In another case auditors found that Halliburton was serving 14.000 meals a day to troops at one Iraqi base, but charging for 42,000 meals a day.”… “but the Pentagon says it’s satisfied with the compan’s work.” …. “Rep Henry Waxman of Calif finds that suspicious. ‘It’s amazing to me that with all the audits they’ve undergone that have recorded a history of overcharging, that Halliburton and its subsidiaries still get picked for very lucrative contracts.’”
Later in the same article, there is a question of why Halliburton is moving to Dubai, the company claiming “it is in the heart of the world’s biggest oil producing region,”. on the other hand, the article claims it is not only to avoid US taxes but to also “avoid accountability, indictments and investigations of the company’s contracting practices.”…. “criminal charges are not out of the question”.
Lets face it while no one speaks out, because of the initial mindset, of “you are either with us or you are a terrorist”, we have been had again.
I don’t recall who did the song, might have been “The Who” but I certainly laugh at the lyrics “We won’t get fooled again”.
And in our own life time no less, how ambarrassing.
Barbara
I loved your letter as it reminded me of the one Rick Mercer wrote a few years back. I am so surprised that many Canadians have been sucked in right along with many Americans pertaining to this bogus “War on Terror” which was made up by the Cabal of the current administration a few years back to influence the massess into allowing them to do their dirty work around the Globe. I wonder why the world seems to be turning a blind eye to all the atrocities caused by
the Foreign Policies of the U.S. in the past 50 years or so. Have not these policies got something to do with the distrust, disbelief, disgust,and bad feelings towards our sister to the south????? Barbara certainly restores my faith that there is still some sane thinking going on down there but the insanity can be read everyday on our own Globe and Mail how so many Canadians are duped also and fearful of the so called ideological battle in the world. Halliburton setting up in Dubai is just dandy for them isn’t it. Cheney and freinds must be rubbing their hands together. It’s obscene how they are just getting richer from the blood and needs of their own citizens in Iraq, as well as treating the rest of the World like fodder to be lied to and snubbed off as irrevelant. Sorry, but I have no love for America right now. You have no idea how much that hurts me to say as I never felt that way until Vietnam. I saw what that war did to families and friends in both countries.
I’ve said it before on this blog; responsible journalism MUST take issue with this ultra-reverence for military personnel at all levels, not just the likes of Superchump Hillier.
I don’t want to hear or see another smug bozo in uniform saying, war is what we are, it’s what we do. We go wherever we’re sent and do harm to whoever we’re told is the enemy.
Yet when they get themselves whacked instead it’s such a nasty surprise, against the rules somehow.
Have these people no brains at all? Don’t they ever glance at history books?
There’s a faint line between their thinking or lack of it and the murderous mercenary scum (oops…. “contractors”..) working for Blackwater around the world.
These guys aren’t in Iraq and Afghanistan doing sidewalks and air-conditioning, you know.
They’re killing people with impunity and being well-paid for it by their pocket-politicians.
I suspect it’s an arrangement they both enjoy.