Wow - did Michael Moore write this?!
Talk about making conclusions without explaining the background on each point. It may make for a snappy article, but I guess you can't let facts get in the way of a good story. I guess the bio of the writer makes it clear: he was a Liberal speechwriter at one point, so his views aren't exactly balanced!
Let's break down a few points:
The warning about Canada possibly running a deficit this year is unfounded. The country has run with a surplus for a number of years, but it has only been since the Conservatives have been in power for the past 2 1/2 years that that money has been used to pay off the national debt...to the tune of $40 billion. That is why the dollar is so strong. The reduction of taxes has fueled the economy - that is why it is healthy while other countries are currently struggling. A Harvard study of a number of years ago reflected that reductions in taxes increases tax revenue due to the resulting boost to the economy. The additional money is spent, creating new jobs, and those people spend more money, thus creating more jobs, etc etc. Raising taxes only stifles the economy and creates long term damage.
Funding for film and television is still strong in Canada, but it cannot be given out to every production (especially considering the explosion in the number of TV stations in the past decade). Censorship is not an issue, as many programs that attack ALL government are still being supported.
The abortion mention is not even an issue. It was a passing attempt by a minority in the House and it will go nowhere.
Yes Canada cut it's foreign aid spending, but does it really make sense to continue sending money to countries whose leaders brazenly steal that money, or have horrific human rights violations? Does money need to be sent to countries that use it for military spending instead of improving conditions for their people? Moreover, there are many living at poverty levels in Canada as well, and shouldn't charity begin at home?
Canada is backing off on interceding on the behalf of citizens facing the death penalty overseas. Why? Because they have been found guilty of murder, drug trafficking, and other such crimes that do not warrant help. If someone is being held without just cause, the government works hard on their behalf. The cause of the Canadian being held in a prison in northern India earlier this year is a prime example.
The worst aspersion against Canada is the mention of the prisoner being held in Guantanamo Bay. The writer fails to point out that the prisoner is from a family of terrorists. The father was an associate of Bin Laden until he and another son were killed in a firefight in Afghanistan - while fighting for Al Queda. The prisoner was trained to be a terrorist, and while fighting in Afghanistan he killed an American soldier. I'm sorry if someone feels bad that a Canadian is sitting in that prison, but he deserves to be there. He is a terrorist and a murderer. But of course these facts would only serve to justify his incarceration, so the writer conveniently left that fact out.
Canada may not be fully supportive of the Kyoto Accord simply for the fact that the goals cannot be realistically attained. And what is the point until all countries agree to the plan? Until the worst offenders cut their emissions, Canada's reductions will have little impact. Canada is well down the list of polluters worldwide, so the onus is on countries like China and the USA to cut their pollution levels first.
While the writer mentions that the Liberal Party is disarray, he fails to examine the core cause: the rift created by the loyal followers of the outgoing Prime Minister (Cretien) and his successor (Martin) that created acrimony reminiscent of what recently happened in the Democrat Party. Add to that the lack of leadership from the current Liberal leader (Dion) and the lack of trust by the Canadian populace in the party's integrity - and that is the formula for self-destruction. All of the infighting has emptied the Party's coffers (just in time for the election), indicating their reckless propensity for spending - imagine what they would do with the taxpayer's money?!
The lose of trust in the Liberal Party's integrity comes from over a decades of corruption scandals. It is not just the one that the writer mentions, but a litany of theft and abuse. There have been four major scandals while the Liberals were in power under Cretien. Each amounted to over a billion dollars each lost in boondoggles. The Liberal's history during that time was of broken campaign promises (ie - to eliminate the GST) and constantly raising taxes. Yearly the Liberals would run with a deficit budget, driving the country further into debt, harming the economy, while filling the pockets of their friends and cronies. That is why they lost the last election, and it appears that they will lose the impending one as well.
Canada is as tolerant as it has ever been. It is predicted that the election will be nasty since the opposition parties have spent the last 2 years making personal attacks on the Prime Minister. In the meantime he has done a good job, ensuring more money stays in the pockets of the taxpayers, while reducing the debt, strengthening the economy, and ensuring that Canada fulfills it's duty in terms of fighting terrorism in Afghanistan. While the Conservatives have been in power there has not been a hint of corruption, which is quite refreshing in comparison to the previous 12 years under Liberal rule.
This article seems like the typical rant of a writer who cannot accept that someone other than his party is doing a decent job while in power, and must skew the facts to make things look dire. Such half truths harms Canada's image abroad, and for that the writer should be ashamed. It was the party that he was a member of that harmed Canada by exposing it to corruption and showing support to terrorist organizations. Consider two points: the father of the terrorist being held in Guantanamo Bay was once in custody in Pakistan as a terrorist. Liberal Prime Minister Jean Cretien applied pressure to have him released. He went on to fight for Al Queda in Afghanistan killing unknown numbers of American and Canadian soldiers, Two - Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin attended a Tamil Tiger rally in Toronto. The Tigers are a recognized terrorist organization.
So who is guilty of making Canada a bad place? And who made the world a little more dangerous? The writer really needs to look at his own party before casting stones at others.
