Category: Other

One more time…

David Pugliese yesterday in the Ottawa Citizen reported:

“During the June election campaign, the Conservatives proposed acquiring a fleet of such long-range transport planes, prompting the Defence Department to analyse the feasibility of the party’s promise. It concluded that not only was such a proposal doable, but also that most of the cost of acquiring four to six C-17s could be paid for from within the existing military budget. “

Canada has rented Russian-owned Antonovs to transport the DART team to the tsunami striken peripheral countries of the Indian ocean.

But defence planners have warned that in an emergency it may not always be possible to rent Antonovs. During the 1998 ice storm that paralysed much of eastern Canada, U.S. military transport planes were used to ferry supplies, said military analyst Alain Pellerin of the Conference of Defence Associations.

Canadians who are worried of too many episodes of “Everybody Loves Raymond” compared to the number episodes of “Train 48” that air on Global television need to realize that the national agenda of maintaining our sovereignty in the face of American influence is better served in having and maintaining a military for use during domestic and international disasters.

We need a military that we can be proud of, one that can protect us, and one that can maintain our so-called international reputation for peace-keeping and international humanitarian efforts around the globe.

Palestinians are ‘perplexed’ at Richard Gere’s public service announcement broadcast on palestinian TV. “Get out and Vote”, he implores.

“I don’t even know who the candidates are other than Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas), let alone this Gere,” Gaza soap factory worker Manar an-Najar told Reuters.

While we should applaud Gere for his positive message, he is quite presumptuous to believe that his celebrity is universal and that it confers a level of authority in any political forum. Every person is entitled to their political views and causes, however, I would argue that people perceive Hollywood intervention as conceited and without credibility. People detect condescension whenever a pampered celebrity — without the benefit of experience, or the desire to stand for election — lectures them to do what is right, even if it truly is.

Gere has visited the Middle East several times during the past year “just educating himself” about the region.

Conclusion of Gere’s fact-finding-mission: “Voting is good. I should tell these lovely yet ignorant people (without my help and experience) that they should vote!”

A scathing column on Paul Martin’s Liberals was published today in the National Post. The heart of the diatribe:

“To those countries and their citizens who are so much the subject of our prayers and our concern, we say simply that in Canada, you have the most caring of friends and strongest of allies.” — Paul Martin

Are we more caring than the Swedes or Italians or Australians or the dozens of other peoples who have dug deep as we have and have actually managed to show up? Are we stronger allies than the Americans, who have 12,500 military personnel in the region, an aircraft carrier, field hospitals and helicopters?

It turns out helicopters — helicopters that can actually fly — are useful things in a disaster. Even Bangladesh has sent helicopters and, of all things, two C-130 transports. Military aircraft are a shameful extravagance for such a poor country. But for a country like Canada that aspires to be a player in the world, the soft power of good intentions and eloquent resolutions is not enough. The hard power of helicopters is what people really need.

I am very proud that my country is donating a significant amount of money to provide aid for those that desperately need it, but Paul Martin might be better off writing an $80 million cheque to the Red Cross who is better equipped to handle such a crisis, in coordination with other countries that possess the proper tools and vehicles.