For Boomer Pete

[DEFCON]

"What concerns me most though, about your response as well as several others posted on the subject, is not the skewed rememberance of history but that you either state or imply (as you did with your reference to me owing my job ...) that support for the US position should be based on a sense of loyalty owed to them for past acts regardless of the facts of the current situation, as opposed to being on the basis of a clear and rational appreciation of what the current facts are."

Although not a historian in the true sense I too have a fair appreciation of history even though my writing may not convey the message clearly from time to time. I believe the US has many faults and if the world is in fact to be a better place they'd better bloody well start fixing them before they do manage to alienate themselves more than they might already have.

With regard to Korea, although the UN was / is involved it's the US that's maintained the uneasy peace for the last many years and without their involvement in UN activities the UN wouldn't be able to mount any realistic response to global events. If the US wasn't there Canada would actually be required to have a military. Instead we get to p!ss away our money on JC's favorite little projects such as bilingualism, multiculturalism and the native issues.

I don't want to be american, nor will I bow to them however, I do appreciate the fact that had it not been for their continuing efforts we'd all likely be sporting the flag of the USSR etc. IMHO we are the weak socially concious and financially dependant neighbour to the north that wants a vote on everything without providing the prerequisite ante. IMO we're the NDP of the western world.

[BoomerPete]

Defcon ...

I absolutely share your opinion of the critical value of the US's involvement in Korea. Likewise I agree that the US has been the bedrock of the defence that has provided security for most western nations including our own.

Regardless of how you see things in Iraq, I'm sure you'll agree that what we have witnessed in the last few months has been an ineptitude of statesmanship of the most colossal scale, from the Europeans, from JC and most especially from the US.

I don't know if you get overseas, but if you do you'll appreciate precisely how badly things are getting in terms of how the rest of the world perceives westerners and especially Americans. The least that can be said is that we are viewed collectively as hypocrites, and there's ample evidence to support that opinion. Personally, I'm not looking forward to where another 6 years of GW is likely to take us.