I like to stand up to the Americans. It's popular. -- -- Jean Chretien,
By The Ottawa Citizen
like to stand up to the Americans. It's popular. -- Jean Chretien,
former prime minister
- - -
In July 1997, then-prime minister Jean Chretien attended a summit meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Spain. While speaking with prime minister Jean-Luc Dehaene of Belgium, before the meeting began, Mr. Chretien made some candid comments about American foreign policy. "All the [American] politicians would be in prison ... [in] your country and my country," he stated, because, "they sell their votes." He argued that the expansion of NATO's membership had nothing to do with "world security" and instead was driven by the desire of the Clinton administration to buy votes domestically.
What Chretien did not realize was that he was speaking into an open mike and that his comments were being picked up by the media. While some might be tempted to dismiss the remarks as the type of chatter that might result from political frustration over this or that issue, they nevertheless expose an anti-American tendency long evident in Canadian international policy. Indeed, Chretien bluntly indicated that he regarded anti-Americanism as politically useful. "I like to stand up to the Americans. It's popular," he told his Belgian counterpart. He bragged that on the issue of Cuba, for instance, "I was the first one to stand up. And people like that." He did acknowledge, however, that, "you have to be very careful because they're our friends."
This mentality is hardly unique to the former prime minister. Prime minister Paul Martin played to the same sentiment in his decision to reject a Canadian role in ballistic-missile defence. Anti-Americanism was also a prominent theme in the Liberal Party's 2005-06 election campaign. While this may be counterproductive in terms of advancing Canadian interests, Jack Granatstein has noted that Canadian "political and cultural elites continue to use anti-Americanism for their own purposes."
Canada isn't morally superior
hmmmmmm
By The Ottawa Citizen
like to stand up to the Americans. It's popular. -- Jean Chretien,
former prime minister
- - -
In July 1997, then-prime minister Jean Chretien attended a summit meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Spain. While speaking with prime minister Jean-Luc Dehaene of Belgium, before the meeting began, Mr. Chretien made some candid comments about American foreign policy. "All the [American] politicians would be in prison ... [in] your country and my country," he stated, because, "they sell their votes." He argued that the expansion of NATO's membership had nothing to do with "world security" and instead was driven by the desire of the Clinton administration to buy votes domestically.
What Chretien did not realize was that he was speaking into an open mike and that his comments were being picked up by the media. While some might be tempted to dismiss the remarks as the type of chatter that might result from political frustration over this or that issue, they nevertheless expose an anti-American tendency long evident in Canadian international policy. Indeed, Chretien bluntly indicated that he regarded anti-Americanism as politically useful. "I like to stand up to the Americans. It's popular," he told his Belgian counterpart. He bragged that on the issue of Cuba, for instance, "I was the first one to stand up. And people like that." He did acknowledge, however, that, "you have to be very careful because they're our friends."
This mentality is hardly unique to the former prime minister. Prime minister Paul Martin played to the same sentiment in his decision to reject a Canadian role in ballistic-missile defence. Anti-Americanism was also a prominent theme in the Liberal Party's 2005-06 election campaign. While this may be counterproductive in terms of advancing Canadian interests, Jack Granatstein has noted that Canadian "political and cultural elites continue to use anti-Americanism for their own purposes."
Canada isn't morally superior
hmmmmmm