Thank You, Mrs. Clinton

Steve Carlson — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:00:24 +0000

Hillary Clinton’s position on the Falklands this week provides Canada with an opportunity to right an old wrong imposed by the United States just over a century ago. The American Secretary of State encouraged Argentina and Britain to sit down and talk about their claims and the future of these tiny islands, much to the chagrin of the Brits whose position has been no-way unless the islands’ inhabitants agree to such negotiations. Since Clinton is so gung-ho on talking, Prime Minister Stephen Harper should insist that the Americans look to their own backyard and re-open the issue over the Alaskan panhandle. Canadians who know their history appreciate that blatant travesty of justice this old border dispute represents.

Let me refresh your memory. Around the time of the Yukon Gold Rush, the exact location of the Alaskan border with Canada was fuzzy. As men and equipment poured across the panhandle on their way to the Klondike, it became an issue. Finally in 1903 Britain and the U.S. came to an agreement on how to settle the precise location of the boundary — three judges representing Canada and three representing the U.S. would be appointed by their corresponding countries to settle the dispute once and for all.

Theodore Roosevelt, the cowboy president, was busy overseeing the expansion of U.S. imperialism (Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Philippines) with the support of his big stick. Not surprisingly, he took the sensitive stance that Canada’s position, “is an outrage, pure and simple. They have no more right to the land in question than they have to Maine.” In that spirit of impartiality, the U.S. appointed three politicians who had no doubts as to whose cause was just. In fact one of them, Elihu Root, was the Secretary of War. Root’s appointment was entirely appropriate considering that Roosevelt had secretly informed Britain that if the resolution didn’t go his way, he would “ask Congress for permission to run the line (border) as we claim it,…without regard for the attitude of England and Canada.”

The Canadian contingent included a Toronto lawyer and Sir Louis Jetté, the Lieutenant-Govenor of Quebec, both of whom fought hard for Canada’s position. The fly in the ointment was the third member, Lord Alverstone, Lord Chief Justice of England, who was there because Canada, as a colony, still did not have control over its own foreign policy. Alverstone voted with the Americans and Roosevelt got the border demarcation that he wanted. Canadians were outraged, one prominent citizen, Sir Charles Tupper, summing it up succinctly with, “The whole course of British negotiations with the United States is marked with a line of gravestones under which Canadian rights are buried.”

Considering all this, Canadians should be most appreciative of Mrs. Clinton’s generous new position espousing the merits of “friendly mediation”. I feel certain that a fair and final negotiation would split the Alaskan panhandle in two equal portions, giving the southern half to Canada. And as restitution for this past wrong and to put Sir Charles Tupper finally at rest, the U.S. might just as well throw in Maine, too.

Harper Kicks Some Obama…, But

Steve Carlson — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:04:32 +0000

This post is not by a Canadian who dislikes Americans. Nothing could be further from the truth. I like Americans. Most of the ones I’ve met are smart and friendly. I just dislike most American politicians. That’s only a misdemeanor compared to how I feel about Canadian politicians. Visiting Ottawa is a pleasure for me. I love the galleries, the museums and the strolls along the locks. But I have never ever entered my country’s parliament buildings. Suffice to say that I suffer from high blood pressure and I just know if I pass through those portals, my heart will explode in my chest. I know this attitude towards my government is immature, but when you’ve been diddled by them for 66 years of your life, it’s tough to be magnanimous. For the other three years, I lived in the U.S. and didn’t pay taxes — and pre-schoolers don’t get too caught up in politics.

Canada doesn’t have a popular right wing party. Our New Democratic and Liberal parties are left wing. Our Conservative party straddles a middle-of-the-road position. That’s why I was somewhat astonished to learn that The Heritage Foundation seems to be saying that the U.S. is sliding further down the slope to a government-controlled welfare state.

The Heritage Foundation describes itself as America’s “most broadly supported public policy research institute, with more than 580,000 individual, foundation and corporate donors.” It has just published the 2010 Index of Economic Freedom which measured just how free the economies of nations are around the world. Canada scored an overall 80.4, placing 7th highest (freest) in the world. Scores are out of 100 and represent an average calculated from ten components which are also scored out of 100. What’s amazing is that the United States stood in 8th place with an overall score of 78. (An overall score of 80 is required to be designated a free economy — at 78, the U.S. is categorized as partially free.)

Here are the ten components and the scores for Canada and the United States. Best scores (if you believe in a free economy) are in italics:

Business Freedom — Canada 96.5, United States 91.3
Trade Freedom — Canada 88.1, United States 86.9
Fiscal Freedom — Canada 76.7, United States 67.5
Government Spending — Canada 54.1, United States 58.0
Monetary Freedom — Canada 75.4, United States 78.1
Investment Freedom — Canada 75.0, United States 75.0
Financial Freedom — Canada 80.0, United States 70.0
Property Rights — Canada 90.0, United States 85.0
Freedom from Corruption — Canada 87.0, United States 73.0
Labour Freedom — Canada 81.5, United States 94.8

One might conclude that Harper is doing a better job than Obama. Maybe but, and it’s a big but, before we get too carried away let’s give the U.S president a chance. Tonight is his State of the Union address. For a 100 years, the United States has stood out as the torch bearer of free enterprise. Tonight the world will be waiting to hear his words and the direction he plans to take America over the rest of his term. If he falters, Canadians had better be ready to catch that torch. It may not be an Olympic gold, silver or bronze but when you’re 7th place in the greater game of opportunity and freedom for you and your children, it’s the biggest tournament of all.

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Thank You, Mrs. Clinton

Harper Kicks Some Obama…, But