The newspaper quoted an unidentified Canadian official who was in the room as saying Bush waved off their attempts to explain how contentious the issue is for Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority government.
"(Bush) leaned across the table and said: `I'm not taking this position, but some future president is going to say, Why are we paying to defend Canada?' '' the official was quoted as saying.
"Most of our side was trying to explain the politics, how it was difficult to do,'' he said. But Bush "waved his hands and remarked: `I don't understand this. Are you saying that if you got up and said this is necessary for the defence of Canada, it wouldn't be accepted?' ''
Yep, that about sums it up. I have often wondered what it would take for Canadians to stand up and demand adequate funding for our military. Among friends, I have glibbly suggested that the White House should send a bill to Ottawa for defense. In retrospect, maybe that is not as off the mark or that time not so long off as I once jested. Maybe if the Canadian public can be made to equate defense spending as the ultimate act of Anti-Americanism the armed forces can be saved from clutches of irrelevancy and/or bankruptcy.
4 comments:
French would never cruise around Hudson's Bay - not enough payola in it for them and Canadians are far too cheap to pay.
Kateland, not surprisingly lots of blogs have picked up on this story! Some, I suppose, because of a How dare he? attitude. Others are just wondering why it took so long for someone to finally ask that obvious question. On the subject of the French, don't be so sure they would not be interested. I can assure you, they would love to regain a strong foothold in North America, especially in Quebec, for many reasons (economic, political, scientific). Imagine how they could poke sharp little sticks at the U.S. from there! The only thing that would stop them is the Monroe doctrine, if it were still in effect, as i expect it is.
Kateland, have I mentioned recently how much I love George W. Bush? ;-)
a "something for nothing" country...
very well put!
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