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Thursday, February 23, 2006
Peter Chamberlain, meet Neville MacKay
Neville Chamberlain, in the 1930's, criticizing anti-Nazi cartoons:
Such criticism might do a great deal to embitter relations when we on our side are trying to improve them. German Nazis have been particularly annoyed by criticisms in the British press, and especially by cartoons. The bitter cartoons of Low of the Evening Standard have been a frequent source of complaint.
Peter MacKay, in 2006, criticizing cartoons depicting Mohammed:
"I think it's dangerous to Canadian citizens . . . who are travelling abroad, where we have seen the reaction that is more extreme and certainly more violent," he said.
"It's also been noted that it may cause a danger to Canadian troops because of the elevated tensions that result from the publication."
"Knowing that there has been loss of life, attacks on embassies, very aggressive actions towards other countries . . . it's not as if anyone can say, 'Well, we couldn't gauge the reaction. We didn't know how the Muslim community would respond,' " he said.
"Respecting people's freedom of expression (is important) - but the danger here towards loss of life and violence clearly outweighs republication, in my view."
Posted by Ezra Levant on February 23, 2006 | Permalink
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Comments
Grand slam.
Mark
Ottawa
Posted by: Mark Collins | 2006-02-23 5:33:20 PM
MacKay is the major disappointment in this government. His attitude on this disappoints me a lot more than the so-called mistakes of the first week.
Posted by: nazz rune | 2006-02-23 5:42:37 PM
Excellent ref. to nazis. The parallel with Islamofacists hold. The nutjob of Iran is the new fuhrer.
Posted by: Rémi houle | 2006-02-23 6:07:48 PM
What should MacKay say ; his position is ceremonial and anything that he says that is not PC , will make headlines all over the world and be used against us. Since he can`t say anything negative ,and he can`t say nothing , say something totally bland ; then we can act as we wish , without having to argue with the UN and the Liberals .
I don`t see him as a diplomat , however ; his considerable talent is being wasted. House leader would be much more fitting in my humble opinion.
The guy is a debator not a salesman.
Posted by: daveh | 2006-02-23 6:15:00 PM
Since Belinda dumped him he's become a master debator
Posted by: dan | 2006-02-23 6:19:44 PM
Peter Mackay is a darned good Liberal.
Posted by: EBD | 2006-02-23 6:23:22 PM
That`s why she dumped him , too much knitting and debating.
Posted by: daveh | 2006-02-23 6:36:52 PM
I'm really surprised the lack of male parts these CPCers have shown so far. Why, they are almost like, horror of horrors, the old doormat Liberals.
Is it true that Paul Martin has been seen in Cuba practising his anti-American rants with Fidel?
"The real division in the world today is not between socialism and capitalism, it is between freedom and totalitarianism." - F Underhill
Posted by: rockyt | 2006-02-23 7:09:28 PM
daveh: "will make headlines all over the world"
Are we living on the same planet?
Ezra: One might also say, to be oecumenically anglospheric, "hit for six".
Mark
Ottawa
Posted by: Mark Collins | 2006-02-23 7:34:49 PM
I get the parallel! Cartoons mocking Nazis are just like cartoons mocking Muhammed, therefore, Muhammed is like a Nazi! Nice comparison Ez!
Now if the cartoons had depicted Muslim radicals and made fun of them, then you would have a point. But as it stands, you have just compared Muhammed to Hitler. A new low for you. Congrats!
Posted by: Mark Logan | 2006-02-23 7:38:24 PM
Substitute could for will , I don`t have a habit of reviewing the first draft . Obviously .
But the point remains. If it`s out there it can be dredged up and used as ammunition.
Posted by: daveh | 2006-02-23 8:09:56 PM
MacKay: is that the new Canadian word for COWARD?
Posted by: Matthew Vadum | 2006-02-23 8:42:28 PM
Hey Vadum,
You live in the U.S. American recruiting officers are having a tough time meeting their quotas. As near as I can tell, you're eligible for military service. You think we're in a clash of civilizations. Instead of taking potshots at Canadian politicians, why not push away from keyboard and enlist?
In fact, I'm sure you're not the only one here who would be welcome in the armed forces - Canadian or American. What say all of you? Once more into the breach? Or do you prefer a quiet retreat into the blogosphere?
Posted by: truewest | 2006-02-23 9:01:19 PM
Truewest - if push does come to shove, Truewest, will you go into the breach?
Posted by: Prometheus | 2006-02-23 9:42:24 PM
Peter McKay:
I've met a lot of politicians in my time, and he was one of them.
Posted by: Plato's Stepchild | 2006-02-23 9:53:48 PM
Prometheus,
Define push. Define shove.
Posted by: truewest | 2006-02-23 10:07:29 PM
ebt,
Having used the term first, I understood the meaning of breach, at least the meaning I attached to it. "Push" and "Shove", on the other hand, were the cryptic offering of Prometheus.
But hey, nice knowing you know how to use a dictionary. frankly, given the content of your posts, i'm surprised.
Posted by: truewest | 2006-02-23 10:22:08 PM
Spoken like someone who's constantly surprised.
Posted by: truewest | 2006-02-23 10:34:30 PM
Once again ebt has used a graphic term, known mostly in medical circles. This is too coincidental to be a coincidence.
I can best describe his writing style as flamboyant anger. I only hope that someday his dream will come true, and someone will actually pay him for his opinions.
Posted by: dan | 2006-02-23 10:37:12 PM
Mohammed is indeed nothing like a Nazi.
Mohammed opposes everything supported by the NDP yet he has their eternal support.
Nazis support everything supported by the NDP yet have their eternal scorn.
Posted by: Feynman and Coulter's Love Child | 2006-02-24 2:26:16 AM
The point is that MP Peter MacKay is out of his depth in this important, and some might say, critical portfolio. The Honorable Peter should be
responsible for something like sports and fitness
-he is essentially a jock, has been since grade school. He should also be removed from the ACOA
portfolio. An Alberta MP should have that responsibility, to foucus on cleaning house and
establishing a new mandate, without a typical Atlantic Canada parochial perspective. ACOA will
not survive an visit from the Auditor General and her companions. A lot of Conservatives compare Peter MacKay to his father, the Honorable
Elmer. Well, Elmer MacKay is a very smart guy, who along with Mazinkowski were the real brains
in Mulroney's government.
Posted by: Jack Macleod | 2006-02-24 3:50:45 AM
We wouldn't want to sit back and observe for more than a second before we start with the knives...
Peter has a point. Apparantly not popular. Since the whole controversey is somewhat contrived, is there an advantage to republishing cartoons that are offensive to every Muslim - not just the nuts. Of course, you have the RIGHT to be offensive. Mackay didn't deny that. He just doesn't think there is an advantage to it. There may even be a disadvantage. But in Canada, the right to be offensive usually trumps personal safety of people we can't see.
Unless you are saying anything that can be construed as critical or disapproving of certain lifestyles...
Posted by: lwestin | 2006-02-24 5:24:01 AM
Mark Logan said: But as it stands, you have just compared Muhammed to Hitler
Actually Mark, he just compared Peter Mackay to Neville Chamberlain, the point being about naiveté, complacency and appeasement in the face of an obvious danger. The Nazi reference was a historical example rather than a direct comparison.
Posted by: Travis | 2006-02-24 5:33:15 AM
I preferred MacKay's soulful pose as a political cornuto, brand-new pitchfork in hand, faithful old Rags skipping at his heels. That kind of soap opera role seemed to suit him. Victimhood came so naturally we could see why a woman of spirit would spit on him. But the rubber boots at Foreign Affairs are a few sizes too big. The government's performance has been sad and pathetic and weak. God help me, I envy the Australians:
"PM backs Muslim comments
February 24, 2006 - 10:48AM
Mr Howard says Mr Costello's comments were "fundamentally accurate".
Prime Minister John Howard has refused Muslim calls to censure Treasurer Peter Costello over comments he made about Islamic extremists.
And Mr Costello has challenged Muslim leaders to pledge their allegiance to Australia before they criticise him over his comments about citizenship.
Muslim leaders have called for Mr Howard to censure Mr Costello over his speech last night to the Sydney Institute in which he said anyone who believed Islamic sharia law could co-exist with Australian law should move to a country where they felt more comfortable.
Islamic Friendship Association president Keysar Trad said Mr Costello had unfairly singled out Muslims and was promoting division and Islamophobia."
Posted by: Billy B. ByTown | 2006-02-24 6:55:54 AM
.. Mr Costello had unfairly singled out Muslims and was promoting division and Islamophobia
and why do so many Muslim worldwide still do have this big personal persecution complex?
Is it cause they personally still really feel guilty inside because they themselves still do persecute the others, the infidels
Muslims do have a really big Infidelphobia
The big civil war in Iraq today where Muslims kill each other dispels the idea to many westerners that Muslims are the good people
Are the cartons the cause of the Muslims killing each other in Iraq too?
Posted by: Infidelphobia | 2006-02-24 7:23:21 AM
Harper now has to live with what they gave him
Peter Mackay the pretender has this Liberal personality because he still does like to drink alcohol too often, and we saw the moody, swinging personality changes alcohol has on Klein. The Alocholics tend not to be normal or rational.
Posted by: Insider | 2006-02-24 7:28:02 AM
On a daily basis it's becomming harder to recognize the people we sent to Ottawa to do things differently.
Posted by: WLMackenzie redux | 2006-02-24 7:59:58 AM
See Richard Gwyn's excellent column in the Star, Feb 24:
"`Clash of civilizations' really a feud over Islam"
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1140735014765&call_pageid=968256290204&col=968350116795
Mark
Ottawa
Posted by: Mark Collins | 2006-02-24 8:00:14 AM
I think the gutless twit is listening to the leftover liberal simple servants. Are the Conservatives dumbed down to a level where they have lost common sense as well?
Posted by: Western Canadian | 2006-02-24 8:54:04 AM
The only explanation one can find about the violence comes from the Word of God. The descendants of Ishmael will be fighting others.
It really is the work of the devil who, as the bible says, lies, destroys, murder.
Even the Koran says to kill the "infidels".
In addition, the nutjob in Iran thinks he is the "mahdi" (kind of muslim messiah). So we need to find a drastic solution for the Iranian problem before they do more damage. I suggest the destuction of the mosque in Irak was inspired by Iran. Creating a civil war in Irak would prevent the establishment of democracy and be a big problem for US.
Posted by: Rémi houle | 2006-02-24 8:58:46 AM
It is a stretch to compare Mc Kays` performance to Costello in Australia . Australia has a history and dare I say the genetic composition , to do the right thing. Canada has been whipped by liberal metrosexual wimps and saturated with diverrrsity and compliiiance , to the point of irrationality. You can only sell what your customers will buy. The watchword here would be incrementalism.
Posted by: daveh | 2006-02-24 9:09:53 AM
http://dukemcgoo.blogspot.com/2006/02/aardvark-mackay-needs-ticket-to-hell.html
I am now convinced that when a new govenrment is elected 'someone' takes them into a room and tells, them 'something' that changes all their minds about whatever the had planned.
Why else do we see the big change and broken promises and dumb shit moves?? Anyone?
Posted by: Duke | 2006-02-24 10:20:37 AM
Its nothing as personal and conspiratorial as that Duke, its more the fact that every person elected as an MP dreams of going to Ottawa to change things.
What they discover upon arrival is that the system is designed to prevent change. One of the biggest flaws of "Yes, Minister" is actually its overly OPTIMISTIC view of the power and potential of ministers to make any actual achievements.
There's even more of the problem than meets the eye: in order to rise to government in this country you have to promise to support every wasteful social program and feel good government rights intrusion in order to gain the trust and voting support of soccer moms and any brow-beaten husbands they may have. Regardless of any Conservative thoughts McKay may have had at any given point in his life (as somebody who even after the Canadian Alliance was formed refused to leave the Joe Clark Tories, this is questionable), he spent months being told by pundits and advisors to soften things up...then weeks on the campaign trail saying all of these things. In the end, they all get worn down into actually believing these things: Harper probably actually thinks alloting government money to childcare in any way is a good idea.
The Ottawash process is at times a multi-tiered and complicated set of events, but it is near universal and certainly effective.
Posted by: Feynman and Coulter's Love Child | 2006-02-24 2:25:01 PM
What the f? Mein Onkel Michel, as obnoxious a Nazi SS Corporal as ever existed, used to fear violence from Canadian troops. Violence to Canadian troops was far from his mind, which was focused on avoiding them. Wha' happen?
Posted by: Fred Z | 2006-02-24 7:15:57 PM
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