US policy: Arm them all and get out

Right away, the heavily armed invading Americans cut the heavily armed secular national Iraqi army loose without seizing their weapons first. Then the occupying Americans “stood up” a new Iraqi army comprised mostly of religious Shias whom they armed very heavily. Now the Americans, reports the New York Times, have begun to arm religious Sunni insurgent groups very heavily, as a buttress against an imaginary group called Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, whom they suppose is very heavily armed.

And now the Americans worry a full scale civil war might break out in Iraq contrary to all their stated expectations, and after having heavily armed everyone they can find.

The University Golf Course Memorial Garbage Landfill?

Recalling the “crème-de-la-crème” comment by an Arbutus Ridge resident indignant that anyone would suggest her neighbourhood should play host to a public transit train system to the airport, and the Oakridge Mall Tax Revolt staged by wealthy west side residents a few years ago, a resident of Point Grey was quoted last week saying something to the effect that the Indians are going to ruin the pristine land the University Golf Course sits on to build ugly condos.

He said it like all westsiders say everything outrageous: without a hint of irony. I was looking out my window when I heard the radio report, failing to see any original trees in the sea of condos non-Indians had hucked up on pristine Indian land over the preceding century.

Maybe the Musqueam can bid on the GVRD contract to accept garbage in a new landfill where the golf course now sits. That might then begin to hint at balance in a small symbolic way, but I fear the irony would be lost. Better yet, maybe the meat rendering plant that ruined our pristine waterfront at the foot of Commercial Drive can relocate to the golf course.

Harper one scary dude

The Prime Minister brought a message of militarism and medievalism to Canadians in his speech from Ottawa on the occasion of Canada’s 140th birthday.

Citing Canada’s illegal role in the American Marine-organized military coup that ousted democratically-elected Haitian president Jean Bertrand Arastide, Harper promised more such “military leadership” roles for the Canadian armed forces in the future. “And why shouldn’t we?” he rhetorically asked. “Our vision reaches beyond our shores,” he threatened, pointing to Canada’s first offensive deployment since World War II, to Afghanistan—on a day when 25 civilians there were killed by our allies’ bombers. Harper went on to dismiss the role of scientists in Canadian society and to contradict a century of teachers in the nation’s schools and universities by stating “we are a country that has been truly blessed” with “natural wealth of the land that God created.” No mention here of the role of natural processes over millions of years, much to the chagrin no doubt of teachers and academics coast to coast who have been trying to elevate the role of science in the thinking of Canadian society, if not Canadian policy makers, all to no avail, apparently, thanks to our sorcery-soaked medievalist PM.

But probably the most offensive element in the Prime Minister’s speech was his outrageous claim to have played some pivotal role in Canada’s recent success at the World Junior Hockey Championships, and to compare Canadians’ love of hockey to the nation’s unwarranted bombing and shooting of third world countries: “From championships in hockey to humanitarian and military leadership roles in Afghanistan and Haiti, Canada is a citizen of the world,” he intoned Fuhrer-like, like around 1936. Unlike the leader of the Green Party, there’s no mistake, I meant to draw a comparison there.

Harper also brushed off serious global concerns regarding first-world poaching of third world-trained professionals, a human-trade phenomenon leaving large poor populations without sufficient doctors and engineers, while wealthy nations like Canada use the expensive talent to stock 7-11 stores at night. “The talents, energy and imagination of people drawn from all the nations of the earth,” Harper said, are a further indication that his God of Christianity is playing favorites in the world, helping nations that need no help whatsoever at the expense of those who need plenty of help. “How lucky can you get?” he might have added.

Harper also used the Arctic to fluff up his speech with a tired and frankly offensive cliché betraying his 1950-esque boosterism frame of mind: “The vast gleaming expanse of the Arctic I could not help but think is as limitless as the potential of Canada itself.” Limitless potential to keep ripping off the natives whose land it is he’s enjoying seeing get wrecked, that is. The fluffing is courtesy his sneering and jaded speech writers from the economics department of The University of Calgary who can’t help pandering. These are the same ones who produce studies of how that vast gleaming expanse could be opened to lucrative shipping rights and mineral exploration as global warming further decimates the inconvenient ice cap. Limitless potential indeed, once endangered polar bears get out of the way. And Conservatives still wonder why Harper scares Canadians.

The old Reagan-and-the-helicopter trick without the helicopter

US President Bush and Russian President Putin spoke to the press at Kennebunkport, Maine, this week. At the end of the conference, Bush replied to a question about US-Russian relations saying “It is in our interests—in the US interests—to have good, solid relations with Russia. And that's what Vladimir and I have worked hard to achieve. And we're going to go continue those relations with a lunch. So thanks for coming.”

Putin added, “Of course we will continue our relations in the future. Today's fishing party demonstrated that we have a very similar—we share the same poison—that is, passion.” A slip into French perhaps, nothing more.

A reporter snuck in one more question, this one sticking out for being the only non-softball question of the day: “Is Cheney a member of the executive branch?”

“I didn't hear you,” said Bush, turning away and ducking beneath non-existent whirring helicopter blades. Like everything else, he’s Reagan without the substance.

The reporter was referring to how vice president Dick Cheney refused to abide by law last week when he failed to turn over documents related to the outing of Valerie Plame as a CIA agent. He defended the action by asserting the bizarre claim that the office of vice president is not part of the executive branch.

Spiro T Agnew, Richard Nixon’s two-term vice president, was forced to resign from office 10 months before his boss was also forced to resign. Agnew’s memoirs implied that Nixon and Secretary of State Alexander Haig planned to assassinate him if he didn’t resign, Haig reportedly saying to him, “go quietly, or else!” Where is Alexander “I’m in control!” Haig when we need him? Nixon also was fixated on his own assassination, reportedly telling John Erlichman at one point that it was okay to keep the unwanted Agnew on the election ticket in 1972 because “no assassin in his right mind would kill me,” and make Agnew president. Is that why Bush has Cheney as VP? It keeps him from being shot? Inquiring minds want to know.