The more that I think about it, I don't think that we ever really had a chance. One of the most common functions of the United Nations is condemnation of the state of Israel, a country that Canada strongly supports. There is a significant plurality of the 192 member General Assembly that would never vote to put a pro Israeli country into the Security Council. It was worth a try to get the seat to bring our moral compass to the council who vote on matters of global security. Had we won a seat I'm sure there would have been voices on the left comparing it to putting Anakin Skywalker on the Jedi Council. I don't know that it counts as a significant defeat if you never really had a chance at victory.
It does seem odd that the government would come out and announce a stronger trade relationship with Israel hours before the General Assembly was scheduled to vote on Security Council membership. I'm sure the conspiracy theorists will soon be out to accuse the government of sabotaging its own membership bid so that they can blame it on comments made by the Liberal leader that Canada did not deserve a seat. By the way, where can I get a list of countries that did not support Canada's bid?
"Since Arab and Muslim countries either control or have varying degrees of influence over a majority of the votes in the assembly, Van Loan’s announcement has the potential to lose Canada support in the ballot.
The so-called Arab and Muslim “automatic majority” has for years sought to isolate Israel at the world body, and denounces moves it considers to be pro-Israeli."
Well that just sorta shows the UN is anti-Semitic to the core. I would much rather see Canada pull out and take our money with them.
ReplyDeleteThe hatred from the left runs deep. This is a victory for the left who would have no difficulty in seeing Canada fail to win a seat or lose a war to protect their socialist ideals.
ReplyDeleteTheir ideology trumps their loyalty to Canada.
If we're not important enough (Portugal-WTF?) to have a SC seat, then perhaps we should be like the majority of UN nations. Don't pay dues and don't rush to support disaster relief!
ReplyDeleteWhen was the last time Portugal did anything for the world except make wine?
This is what happens when you stand up for principles and refuse to kow-tow to the wishes of the Middle Eastern theocracies, the dictatorships in Africa, and the tyrannical environmental zealots. My choice is with principles. Of course, I have long seen the U.N. as a corrupt, unprincipled, dictatorial money pit.
ReplyDeleteMichael Ignatieff one of the the leaders of the Coalition parties said flat out that canada doesn't deserve a seat at the SC- but Portugal does tells that man doesn't like Canada period.
ReplyDeleteNor do their media coalition to say anything to defend their country canada when remarks like that was heard. And not only that, he finds Canada very disgusting yet he wants to be the leader of this country; silence from the coalition media also indicates that they find canada to be very disgusting.
On the whole though, my feeling is that Canada has walked out on Iran's president and that is a no no also Canada's firm stand with ISRAEL disturbs the ARAB and Muslim nations, Hugo Chavez and other dictators.
Boy what a cozy bunch.
I agree with Anonymous, SC don't want us then we mind our own business and back off from Canada when problems arises.
The CBC is all over the Security Council story and Carole McNeil can barely contain her excitement. They are running the caption that "Canada finished last" instead of "Canada finished in third".
ReplyDeleteThe UN is well past its best before date.
ReplyDeleteWE the Canandian Taxpayers should petition our Government to immediatly withdraw from the Socialist UN.
ReplyDeleteOur Government should lead the way to establish a new world organization of Democratic Countries
Rosmary Barton just about twisted out of her panties in her haste to play Iggys response to this.
ReplyDelete"Carole McNeil can barely contain her excitement."
ReplyDeleteShe is so over the top on this, it is now crystal clear that the CBC on air staff has been given the green light to just go ahead and throw anything they can at the Conservative government.
Damn the objectivity, they know a Conservative majority means there will be an extra Billion or so in the government coffers every year when they axe this left wing money pit.
Thanks Mr. Ignatieff, his left-wing coalition, and the unbalanced left bias press. How can you morons ever expect to gain loyal Canadian voters respect?
ReplyDelete"The UN became a completely different organization during the 90s: “The addition of the new states posed a problem. Many were the authoritarian offspring of the Soviet Union or the Communist Chinese. They were joined by totalitarian Islamist regimes. What was emerging was a clash of ideologies, not a clash of civilizations. Many of these new states wanted international rules that would suit the needs of dictatorships rather than democracies. By 2003, the 114 Third World states that made up the Nonaligned Movement, which voted as a bloc in the UN, at best represented a little more that a half the world’s population, but it could claim nearly two-thirds of the 191 UN member states. The UN had gerrymandered itself to give dozens of these authoritarian regimes a greater voice in the shape of the world affairs than they deserved."
--machiavelli
Here’s something the Harper government should have played up, instead of focussing so much attention on Ignatieff’s “Canada doesn’t deserve a seat at the UN Security Council” silly remark:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,717489,00.html 09/16/2010
Dream of Influence
Germany Renews Campaign for UN Security Council Seat
By Ralf Neukirch
“… Next month Germany will attempt, once again, to secure a non-permanent seat for two years on the UN Security Council. For the first time, the German government will be up against two competitors, Canada and Portugal. **Eight years ago, only two countries were vying for the two seats allocated to the so-called Western group, and the same situation applied eight years before that.** …”
SOooo … that crap about Canada getting the seat because it deserved it then, but not now — of course, when the Liberals were in power — is just that, a load of crap.
Of course Canada got one of the two seats available! — There were only TWO countries vying for TWO seats, so it stands to reason Canada would get one of them.
By pointing this out, I don’t mean to disparage in any way Canada’s valued role at the UN, I hope that’s clear.
P.S. I’m posting this on a few conservative blogs, because I think it’s relevant to the discussion.
-- Gabby in QC
I am so happy that Germany finally got elected as a member of the Security Council for the next two years. Maybe we will be a permanent member very soon. Germany stands for world peace and climate protection. We deserve this seat.
ReplyDelete