Harper Stirs the Asian Pot

"Don't Let On You Want to Bomb His Country"

 To Mittsy Romney, Russia is America's biggest geo-political foe.  To Harpo, it's China that most endangers Canada.

China, really?   The same China we're selling our Tar Sands to, and in partnership with whom we're building our Northern Gateway pipeline to transport diluted bitumen across British Columbia to Kitimat where it will be loaded into Chinese state-owned and operated supertankers, that China?   The same China that will be refining our bitumen into crude oil products that could be fueling its new, blue water navy, and its equally new stealth fighters, and all of its tanks and other military machinery, that China?  Ooooh yeah, baby, that China.

So what would suggest the Harper neo-Cons have China in their crosshairs?   There are several telltales.

Our government's utter obsession with the F-35 is one.   Why would Canada opt for a pathetically small number of supposedly stealthy, light attack bombers except if we contemplated some use for that sort of warplane, i.e. a first strike against an adversary with modern, sophisticated air defences?   Truth be told, there aren't many countries that fit that bill that aren't already on our side.  Russia and China, however do fit the bill.

And remember DefMin Peter "Airshow" MacKay's gushing remarks in September after his meeting with his American idol, Leon Panetta?   At the time, MacKay called for Canada to establish a "permanent, visible [military] presence" in Asia, adding, "We have to be there in quality and quantity in the coming years."  MacKay has been busy seeking forward basing rights in places like Singapore.   What could that possibly be about?

Now, Harper has added his piece to this childish puzzle.   He's en route to India along with his wife, Darlene.  In an exclusive interview with PostMedia, Harper said that Canada needs India as a strong ally for reasons of "geopolitical global security."

"I think they're a logical partner and ally of western countries... they face many of the same security issues we face.  In some ways more imminently."

So, just what security issues do Canada and India have in common, issues that India faces "more imminently"?   It's not Russia, that much is for sure.   India is still pursuing the strong
decades-old military/industrial partnership with Russia that has served it very well.   Hmmm, if Russia's out that leaves - you guessed it - China.  And India, which got into a shooting war with China back in Nehru's days over a perpetual border dispute, can be said to have "imminent" issues with the People's Republic.

In other words, you won't strain your eyes reading between the lines to see that Steve and Peter and the whole damned Neo-Conservative government of Canada see very real security issues between our country and the very same one they're bending over backwards to help to our bitumen resources.

It sounds contradictory but, always bear in mind, that it's American foreign policy that we're adopting, not our own.   Flogging bitumen to anyone who'll have it is domestic policy.   Deciding who is our friend and who is our enemy is something we'll leave up to Washington.   There, contradiction resolved.