Canadians prepared to fight for Arctic, survey

BaalsTears

Senate Member
Jan 25, 2011
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The Snow Dragon comes to the Arctic. Does this bother Canadians?

"...With the world's largest non-[COLOR=green !important][COLOR=green !important]nuclear[/COLOR][/COLOR] research icebreaker, Xue Long (Snow Dragon) China has embarked on four Arctic research expeditions in recent years. China's larger polar [COLOR=green !important][COLOR=green !important]scientific [COLOR=green !important]research[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] effort has seen 26 expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic since 1984.

This past summer the vessel embarked on a research voyage to 88 degrees North latitude, which is only 120 nautical miles (222 kilometers) from the [COLOR=green !important][COLOR=green !important]North [COLOR=green !important]Pole[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]. Chinese research scientists from the fourth research expedition travelled to the North Pole via the vessel's [COLOR=green !important][COLOR=green !important]helicopter[/COLOR][/COLOR] to conduct research, arriving at the North Pole on 15:38 pm (0738 GMT) Friday August 20, 2010..."

Read more at:
Asia Times Online :: China News, China Business News, Taiwan and Hong Kong News and Business.
 

ironsides

Executive Branch Member
Feb 13, 2009
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Any particular reason why?
Looks like he no like French. :)

When one has to negotiate one needs a starting point. It would be foolish to have as a start the position you hope to end up with. We get Alaska but you have to keep Sarah Paulin and keep her off TV.
Unless the global warming theorists are right it is largely moot anyway since without open water there will be little development.

Just think of it vacation villas dotting the coast of the Bearing Sea. Time to invest, :) I think were warming up.
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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We should make a symbolic statement and just let whoever wants those resources have it. Then the whole world would know how peaceful and loving Canadians are.

Okay okay okay - screw it, let's send in the troops!
 

ironsides

Executive Branch Member
Feb 13, 2009
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You talkin' Hudson Bay or James Bay?
Yes, James bay would be nice.

No use buying any US equipment, we've been using their stuff for 50 years and we haven't caught one intruder yet. We even had Russia do the aerial surveys that looks for mineral deposits just because the US would have been able to have the master copy of the data and we would get what they thought we were entitled to.
Prety sure we could get yo u a couple of Higgens boats, few down here in Florida not being used,
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
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The greater bay and no, climate global warming change won't be flooding anything but eyes with tears after the money is all gone.

I kind of think you are right, anyone who studies Mother Nature knows she does things in cycles, but having said that I suppose she was responsible for Lake Agassiz too.
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
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The funny thing is that I'm 90% sure we would side with you out of loyalty alone. That's what real friends do.

Well then we need to make a distintion between friends and allies. A real friend wants help his friends to become better people, whereas an ally aligns himself with his allies as a matter of pure self-interest.

Just to take an example, if I shoplift a chocolate bar, my friend would tell me to either return it and apologize to the owner, or at least pay it back. At most, my friend might try to talk the owner into forgiving me, but he'd still expect me to return the chocolate bar and would still respect the owner's decision to pursue charges. In fact, even if I should be able to get away with stealing the chocolate bar and refuse to make amends to the owner, a true friend would report me to the owner or the police himself, not because he hates me but, on the contrary, precisely because he loves me and wants to make me a better person.

My 'ally' on the other hand would protect me out of pure self-interest.

Quite frankly, I'd rather Canada have more friends and fewer 'allies'.
 

earth_as_one

Time Out
Jan 5, 2006
7,933
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I lived in Resolute Bay Nunavut, and Churchill MB and been to almost every community in Nunavut from Hudson Bay east. This part of Canada was discovered and explored originally by Danes and Norwegians. Canadian explorers came later. Canada's future depends on access to resources, and most of the arctic remains untapped.

Canada must insist that all vessels in the NW Passage recognize Canadian sovereignty. Any search and rescue operations in the NW passage will be led by Canadians. Also who do you think is going to pay to clean up oil spills and other inevitable environmental disasters????

So yes we have a right to insist all vessels in these waters meet certain standards and carry insurance.

The best way to patrol this area is by air. ships and submarines are far too slow.
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
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Man, you expect a lot from friends, don'cha?

Seems less than when we expect form allies. At least we don't expect them to protect us from our own wrongs (should we do wrong of course).

I lived in Resolute Bay Nunavut, and Churchill MB and been to almost every community in Nunavut from Hudson Bay east. This part of Canada was discovered and explored originally by Danes and Norwegians. Canadian explorers came later. Canada's future depends on access to resources, and most of the arctic remains untapped.

Canada must insist that all vessels in the NW Passage recognize Canadian sovereignty. Any search and rescue operations in the NW passage will be led by Canadians. Also who do you think is going to pay to clean up oil spills and other inevitable environmental disasters????

So yes we have a right to insist all vessels in these waters meet certain standards and carry insurance.

The best way to patrol this area is by air. ships and submarines are far too slow.

Sure we do... as long as it's well established in international law that it does in fact belong to us.
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
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Seems less than when we expect form allies. At least we don't expect them to protect us from our own wrongs (should we do wrong of course).

;-) That's when it's comfort to know a friend's got your six....

Sure we do... as long as it's well established in international law that it does in fact belong to us.

There are hundreds of maps and charts available. Just Google "Arctic Archipelago"....

Maps of the Northwest Passage

There is no way in to any internal water, large enough in which to contest territory, that is not well within the 12 nm limit.

It's firmly established....
 

Machjo

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 19, 2004
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;-) That's when it's comfort to know a friend's got your six....



There are hundreds of maps and charts available. Just Google "Arctic Archipelago"....

Maps of the Northwest Passage

There is no way in to any internal water, large enough in which to contest territory, that is not well within the 12 nm limit.

It's firmly established....

Then Canada's in the right and this is a non-issue. My main criticism is against those who would claim further Northern limits beyond what is firmly established. Those waters that are already establshed should be a non-issue and I fully agree with you there. I guess my question is just what territory the government is claiming precisely. If all it's claiming is the already established lands, then no issue.
 

BaalsTears

Senate Member
Jan 25, 2011
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No nation has true friends to be completely honest. Nations only have interests. Peoples can be friendly to each other, but will not sacrifice their perceived interests for another people.

Canada fears American domination despite friendly feelings toward Americans generally. This rules America out as an ally.

The existing international order will not protect Canada because a new international order is being created by China and India. Imo that means Canadians will have to rely on themselves to protect their interests in the Arctic. Planes flying over don't mean anything if Canada is not prepared to go rough and tumble. A new Canada will have to emerge if it is to defend its Arctic claims.
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
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Then Canada's in the right and this is a non-issue. My main criticism is against those who would claim further Northern limits beyond what is firmly established. Those waters that are already establshed should be a non-issue and I fully agree with you there. I guess my question is just what territory the government is claiming precisely. If all it's claiming is the already established lands, then no issue.
I think most of the bluster is Lomonosov Ridge and to whom it belongs. The ridge itself is submerged continental crust, but it dips to deep depths short of both Asian and and North American continental shelves.

Maybe it's Atlantis?