There isn't any question that relations between Canada and the
United States will come under serious strain when war erupts
in Iraq. Emotions, now running high, will gather even more
steam once Baghdad is attacked. But it would be wrong
to view Canada's refusal to join an American-led attack on
Saddam Hussein as a defining moment for the two nations.
Granted, the decision by the Bush administration to proceed to
war without the sanction of the United Nations is an
ominous move that hasn't been received well in Canada for
the most part. In the short term at least, the
already chilly Chretien-Bush relationship could move into cold storage. But
while the political tensions should not be sugar-coated, neither should
they be allowed to poison the fundamentally strong partnership between
two countries that share a special bond as close allies
and friends.
In a polarized climate that's made to order for strong
political rhetoric on all sides, it can be difficult to
keep the relationship between Canada and the United States in
perspective. The gathering storm is fertile ground for the divisive,
intemperate remarks of a Carolyn Parrish (the MP who referred
to Americans as "bastards"), or a Pat Buchanan (of "Soviet
Canuckistan" fame).
Whom do these hotheads speak for? A fringe, at best.
Most Canadians, and Americans for that matter, can cut through
the nonsense. Relations between prime ministers and presidents will ebb
and flow, but that's transcended by the basic values shared
by the people of the two great democracies.
Source.
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