Friday, December 22, 2017

Did Canada Cave to American Intimidation?


According to America's National Public Radio, the Trudeau government was intimidated into abstaining on yesterday's General Assembly vote to repudiate Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital. NPR reports that the federal government wanted to vote with the overwhelming majority but was pressured into abstaining on warnings that NAFTA negotiations could be at risk.

Reminds me of that line attributed to Churchill: "Madam, we have already established what you are. Now we are merely haggling over the price."

And it seems Canada should be watching its back when it comes to the far north. My kids bought me one of those Amazon Echo devices. So I asked it this morning where Santa lives. Got the proper answer, the North Pole. Pursuing this line of enquiry I followed up by asking if Santa was Canadian to which I got an abrupt, "no." Then I asked if Santa Claus was American. I wasn't quite ready for the response, "yes." Oh dear.  Don't tell the kids.

Merry Christmas.

11 comments:

Lorne said...

Bah! Humbug, Mound. Let Echo respond to that.

Anonymous said...

Happy Christmas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2_bLEqmBi0

Owen Gray said...

Perhaps it was programmed by Jacob Marley. Merry Christmas, Mound.

Trailblazer said...

A bit early but a Merry Christmas to all, or whatever you believe in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4QE5iSZyj4

enjoy.

TB

Jay Farquharson said...

https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/trumps-un-threat-backfires-after-canada-changes-its-vote-avoid-being-seen-his

"However, Trump’s threat seems to have already backfired, as Israeli reporter Barak Ravid says he’s received word that Canada will abstain from voting on the UN resolution after having previously planned to vote with the United States against it.

“Canada considered voting against the UNGA resolution on Trump’s Jerusalem announcement but changed vote to abstention after hearing Trump’s threats in order not to be perceived as US puppet, Western diplomats tell me,” Ravid reported."

Northern PoV said...

Canadian Foreign Policy ....

a disease filled swamp:

https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/12/22/ottawas-foreign-policy-swamp/

Anonymous said...

This whole issue seems kind of crazy to me.

Bill Clinton ran on moving the embassy to Jerusalem in 1992 (attacking Bush Sr. for having "repeatedly challenged Israel’s sovereignty over a united Jerusalem.") He made it official in 1995. But created this odd tradition of deferring the implementation every 6 months.

Trump ran on the same promise, deferred once, then stopped the whole deferring thing.

It also seems absurd condemning America's "unilateral" decision of where to put their embassy. It's their embassy, they can put it where ever they want. If they made the unilateral decision to move the UN General Assembly from New York to Jerusalem, that would be a different story.

Want peace in the Middle East? Start talking financial reparations. Of course, the Western Deep State Powers That Be who bungled the creation the state of Israel in 1948 have tight purse strings and would prefer strife. But then again, when do they not?

the salamander said...

.. once the snow melts
or milder winds prevail..
on the great big island..

May th Mound astride the beast Bimmer
ride to the mainland.. eh.. slay some dragons..

Thanks for your astonishing work..
the coherence, the concern.. the care..
the alertness ..

Great Canadians..
.. n Exemplars such as you
r few.. n far between ..

Keep on Keepin on.. eh

Tal Hartsfeld said...

Actually, Nicholas was born in Asia Minor.
Hence, he was neither Canadian or American.

...just for the record ...

The Mound of Sound said...

Tal, I have sources who insist that the jolly round man's mother and father hailed from Lubbock, Texas.

Anonymous said...

Anyong: Yes...listened to the same program Mound. However, The Santa thing....I heard the same night...couldn't sleep for some reason. Ha-ha....and to all a good night!