multilateralism

Contributor: nickie

Date: 2003-01-29 21:20:46

What a bunch of nonsense. Time to grow up and stop being so sanctimonious. I would guide you to the Toronto star this day:

Moral superiority vs. moral weakness

By Brian Lee Crowley

CANADIAN foreign policy seems to be based on the principle that what the world needs most is a country that hangs back from the world's conflicts, that takes no sides, and has nothing at stake except its own high-mindedness.

In our fantasies, the world waits breathlessly for this country to rush out from its splendid isolation each time these conflicts reach the boil, so that it can even-handedly scold both sides, condemning all violence and excesses equally, and reminding everyone that all problems would be solved if only everybody were, well, nicer.

That country is, of course, Canada itself. Isolated as we are, by geography and the American military shield, we run absolutely no risk of being seriously threatened militarily by any other country, although terrorist outrages remain a real possibility.

And facing absolutely no real dangers, we consider ourselves perfectly suited to dole out sanctimonious advice to others whose very existence is threatened, and who do not have the luxury of getting their foreign and defence policy wrong. We reserve our greatest moral superiority not for those furthest from our own ideals, but rather for our friends and allies, who often defend principles in which Canadians deeply believe, in circumstances so trying that we can only dimly imagine them.