Now that the election is over, we can do some sober analysis, and one area that deserves parsing is the Liberal and NDP platform positions on peacekeeping. Both were enthusiastic about serving the United Nations. Neither seemed unduly interested in war-fighting, although the Liberals, whose agreement was essential for the 2008 three-year extension of combat in Afghanistan and for the three-year training commitment there, did seem to concede it as a possibility.My personal feelings go something like this ... first lets develop a consistent foreign policy, then lets discuss the military. It'd be a first.
Nonetheless, the now-defeated Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff made some interesting comments in the French-language leaders' debate that deserve to be remembered, if not heeded. The UN Security Council, he maintained, should decide if Canadian troops are to be committed to operations: "The Canadian Army must never be used outside the country without the authorization of the UN."
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Whither Go The Forces
... a discussion:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
The first step in a coherent foreign policy would be to tell the bloated UN to go pound sand. The sooner we leave that swamp the better.
HUA
I favor Canada, the US, Britain...all the civilized countries...stay in the UN. This is on the principle "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." By staying in and keeping involved, we Western nations have the potential to curtail the evil and enhance what little positive emanates from that degenerated institution. IMO, the UN WITHOUT the civilized Western powers would probably quickly degenerate even moreso into a transnational enemy of the entire West.
"The Canadian Army must never be used outside the country without the authorization of the UN."
Fine; now we can refer to "Michael Ignatieff, not-a-Canadian leader". He might be minded to discover the concept of 'national sovereignty'.
Developing a proper foreign policy would be desirable, but one must indulge in a bout of defenestration among the senior personnel in the Pearson Building. Too many of them are quite enamoured with the UN.
Cheers
Post a Comment