Our Heartfelt Apologies
A message to our good friends in Canada
 

December 6 2004
Counterbias.com
Marc Krug
 

To our friends in Canada, America extends its heartfelt apologies. You were recently exposed to that walking, talking manufacturer of treacherous deceit as well as grieving widows and orphans — the President of the United States.

But in one very important way, you are to be envied. George Bush has already left your country and unfortunately returned to ours.

For that you should feel blessed — mostly because you do not have sitting at the head of your government anyone who even remotely resembles the borderline sociopath who sits at the head of ours.

In his recent trip to Canada, Bush had the opportunity to display his ample powers of ignoring reality. This is a talent he has mastered through months of disregarding the ever-increasing horrors of Iraq.

For instance, while traveling by motorcade this November 30 from the Ottawa airport to the center of town, Bush saw hundreds of angry demonstrators lining the streets. Even so, upon arrival, he told Prime Minister Paul Martin: “I felt that the reception we received on the way in was very warm and hospitable.”

Perhaps what convinced Bush of the Canadians’ warmth and hospitality was something he saw while traveling in his limousine — a sign that bore the simple message “Please leave.” In America, that sign would not likely have begun with the polite word “please” nor would it likely have ended with a word considered suitable for mixed company.

Canada also unfortunately witnessed Bush’s singular talent for twisting facts beyond what anyone would logically infer them to mean. An example was this chilling remark about Iraq: “We just had a poll in our country where the people decided that the foreign policy of the Bush administration ought to stay in place for four more years and it’s a foreign policy that works with our neighbors.”

Coming from a man who considers a 1 and ½% victory to be a mandate, this was to be expected. But there is something fundamentally wrong with any line of reasoning which implies that anyone who voted for Bush approves of everything he does. For example, many who voted for him because of his pro-life stance may not have approved of his foreign policy. In fact, most don’t.

In listening to Bush’s remark about the recent poll, Canadians witnessed only once what Americans have to witness all the time — namely, that when a fact stands in the way of what Bush would rather believe, he simply ignores it. The fact is that nearly 60% of all Americans believe that the war in Iraq was a mistake and not worth the price we paid for it.

Furthermore, it would be difficult to name any American “neighbor” who manifestly supports the war in Iraq. Simply put, if his foreign policy works with America’s neighbors, what would explain the 10,000 demonstrators Bush encountered in Ottawa?

In his short time in Ottawa, Bush also subjected his Canadian audience to what millions of Americans have endured for months during his campaign. Using the folksy expressions and loose syntax characteristic of every Yale and Harvard graduate, especially those born to substantial wealth, Bush did one of his better John Wayne imitations.

“I’m the kind of fella who does what I think is right and will continue to do what I think is right,” he said. “I will consult with our friends and neighbors, but if I think it’s right to remove Saddam Hussein for the security of the United States, that’s the course of action I’ll take.”

Here we have Bush at his finest: every sentence contains at least one lie. Did Bush think it was right to constantly deceive Americans into believing that Iraq had a stockpile of WMDs? Furthermore, did he truly consult with our allies before invading Iraq — or was all the disdain he displayed towards those who didn’t support his war entirely a mirage?

And last, considering the growth of terrorism caused by the war in Iraq, the “security” question should be phrased something like this: “Do Americans feel more secure with Saddam Hussein removed, considering what it took to accomplish that act — namely, the war and all the hatred and desire for revenge that arose because of it?

In speaking with the Prime Minister, Bush also brought up one of his all-time favorites: the missile defense system. This hallowed delusion stipulates that America could shoot down incoming enemy missiles.

Since the Reagan administration, experts have repeatedly judged this entire concept as largely implausible, not to mention extremely expensive — which makes it particularly ill-advised in a time of growing deficits such as the present. Unfortunately, this does not dissuade Bush.  

Canada wisely does not share Bush’s support of the missile defense system. But Canada, unlike America, does not need some costly distraction from the meat grinder known as Iraq. Nor does it need any distraction from the consuming American tragedy that its infant mortality rate and number of children growing up in poverty is the highest of any industrialized nation — while its life expectancy rate is the lowest.

In reality, Canada does not need the deceitful delusions of George Bush at all. But then again, neither does America.

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