Canadians Stand with You (The U.S. and U.K.)

This is from FreeRepublic but I got the link from the Gallopingbeaver. This is ancient history of course but it shows that neither Day nor Harper had the slightest reservations about the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Never mind that no country has the right to invade and occupy another country to disarm it and overthrow the government. Never mind that there was no time of need since neither the US nor UK were seriously threatened. Never mind that the invasion and occupation might have something to do with securing oil and energy supplies and helping out Brit and US oil companies. Trot out the old cliches and lead the whole rotten bunch of imperialists. Of course it is not the old cliches: The White Man's Burden. We have new but already tired cliches:
freedom, democracy, civilization itself. No doubt these are the same Canadian values that we are fighting for in Afghanistan but of course they translate into Sharia law, massive production of opium, and the death penalty for Muslims who convert to Christianity, and the banishment from parliament of a female legislator who criticised her colleagues and rightfully pointed out that there were warlords in the government.
At least Harper and Day can be happy that we are standing by the UN and the UK in Afghanistan and also with the "reformed" Taliban mullahs, Karzai, and the "former" warlords whose human rights record outrivals any outrages of the Taliban. Now we are having this politely framed debate about our mission. Remember it is not to be called a crusade even against Islamo-fascism..our newest boo-word. In the debate no one will bring up the fact the original Afghan invasion as the Iraq invasion was not sanctioned by the UN. The debate will point out that we are there by invitation of the Karzai govt. and under UN auspices. This is exactly parallel to the Iraq situation!
No doubt the Canadians stood side by side with the US while Pinochet overthrew the elected govt. of Allende, and amiably watched while Somoza ran Nicaragua or Papa Doc Haiti. Did Harper and Day complain that the Canadians did not lead the pack in invading Thailand when the generals took over recently. Are we urging the US to invade Burma? The reactionary regimes of our Arab Allies such as Saudi Arabia?

Canadians Stand With You
By STEPHEN HARPER and STOCKWELL DAY
Today, the world is at war. A coalition of countries under the leadership of the U.K. and the U.S. is leading a military intervention to disarm Saddam Hussein. Yet Prime Minister Jean Chretien has left Canada outside this multilateral coalition of nations.
This is a serious mistake. For the first time in history, the Canadian government has not stood beside its key British and American allies in their time of need. The Canadian Alliance -- the official opposition in parliament -- supports the American and British position because we share their concerns, their worries about the future if Iraq is left unattended to, and their fundamental vision of civilization and human values. Disarming Iraq is necessary for the long-term security of the world, and for the collective interests of our key historic allies and therefore manifestly in the national interest of Canada. Make no mistake, as our allies work to end the reign of Saddam and the brutality and aggression that are the foundations of his regime, Canada's largest opposition party, the Canadian Alliance will not be neutral. In our hearts and minds, we will be with our allies and friends. And Canadians will be overwhelmingly with us.
But we will not be with the Canadian government.
Modern Canada was forged in large part by war -- not because it was easy but because it was right. In the great wars of the last century -- against authoritarianism, fascism, and communism -- Canada did not merely stand with the Americans, more often than not we led the way. We did so for freedom, for democracy, for civilization itself.