recceguy said:
I'm tired of Canada standing on the world stage like a whipped schoolboy, hat in hand, and apologising for whatever the flavour of the day is (Rwanda, UN inaction, global warming, earthquakes in Antactia, not giving billions to Bono's favourite charity of the day, whatever)
Got any actual instances of Canada issuing an apology, other than your rhetoric? Canada is hardly apologising for Global warming, it's doing everything it can to stop international efforts towards a climate change agreement. Where is Antactia? Did you mean Antarctica? We apologised for earthquakes there? And when did we apologise for not giving millions to Bono's favourite charity? That one I know is surely rhetorical flourish, but Canada atually does contribute a fair amount of ODA so it's hardly apologising.
So, your premise is that Canada is too apologetic, however this is not actually supported by any empirical evidence.
recceguy said:
We have nothing to apologise for and as much as I respect the GG, I'm offended she feels the need to tell the world I didn't do something they think I should've. Especially when it's the same self serving jackasses that created the situation in the first place.
Whether she actually made an apology is open to interpretation. However, don't think that we don't have anything to apologise for. As many people on these forums would agree, Canada is a principal power. We're a top-tier country in the international status hierarchy. We're in the G8, we're one of the most capable military powers in NATO, top 5 in UNDP's HDI, etc. Well being a principal power means taking a share of responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Isn't that what we're doing in Afghanistan? Removing a terrorist regime, and then remaining for the medium-term to ensure a transition to a stable government, not allowing it to descend into a failed state like Somalia.
Well, as one of the top-10 countries in the world, we do have a burden of responsibility for inaction during the Rwandan genocide. 800,000 people were slaughtered in 100 days. That's a faster rate of killing than the Holocaust. And for doing next to nothing about it, Canada (and the rest of the major and principal powers) does have a level of responsibility for its inaction and allowing it to go on so long.
Do you sincerely feel that capable countries do not have a responsibility to intervene during such atrocities? Do you feel that the major and principal powers of the world do not need to take proactive measures to insure stability of the international order? That's fine. That's your opinion, and in that case then no, you probably do not think Canada has anything to apologise for.
But as someone who feels that Canada is a strong country that projects its values and interests abroad, and is able to act autonomously when required, I welcome the GG statement (whether it be an apology or not).
