Bill Clinton was in Toronto yesterday signing copies of ‘My Life’ for thousands of adoring fans. According to an exclusive media report, “he was even giving out hugs!” I bet he was…
Anyway…I would fall on the conservative side of the voting spectrum (although I try to be open to the strengths and weaknesses of all parties), however, Clinton was interviewed for the CBC last night and he made a really good point about the U.S. involvement in Iraq. I’m not getting involved in that debate right now, but he asked the question why, after September 11, was the tracking down of Bin Laden/Al Qaeda not a priority? Why did Saddam Hussein suddenly become public enemy #1? And why were the Pakistani’s left to hunt for Bin Laden with only 10,000 US troops for support while there are 130,000 in Iraq where there are no WMD’s? All good questions I say.
If you want a good laugh, go to JibJab for a great video that takes shots at both sides!
A couple of weeks ago at a worship concert, Brian Doerksen said that it was his opinion that God had specifically called Canada as a nation to be a peacekeeper to the rest of the world. I had never thought of us in that light and it gives me a whole new perspective on the military and what our role in the world is as Canadians. Although I still believe our military deserves more federal funding, it needs to be as a support to our peacekeepers around the world to equip them in their role, not to bolster our military might.
New offensive weapons – no. Helicopters that don’t crash 10 minutes after lift off – yes.
3 comments:
Have you seen Fahrenheit 9/11 yet? I think you'd find it interesting. Also, how can a guy have an "opinion" that "God has called Canada to...."? Doesn't this strike you as silly? Either God has called us or he hasn't. One man voicing his "opinion" is just that. But then, you know, I'm not a conservative... :)
James, good point on the 'opinion' thing…I guess I am trying so hard to be non-offensive that 'opinion' was the wrong term to use. That being said, do we declare his viewpoint invalid simply because it is expressed as an opinion with a hint of uncertainty? Do I believe that God has called Canada to be a peacekeeping nation? Maybe…but if I express it with any hint of dogmatism, (“yes, God has definitely called us…”) then I got shot down for being too narrow in my worldview. How dare I speak for God!
As I see it, one of the great losses in our generation is open debate (particularly religious and political debate). We have moved from having opinions that are up for consideration to having irrevocable stances that cannot be questioned. It’s odd that in a time in history when most people would deny that there is ultimate truth, we have become more extreme and unwavering in our viewpoints. I’m right, you’re wrong. End of debate. I’m liberal; you’re conservative and have nothing positive to contribute. This happens on both ends of the spectrum – right wing, left wing, whatever. We are all standing on our soapboxes yelling so loudly that we can’t hear what the other guy is saying. Have I seen Fahrenheit 9/11? Not yet - I’ll probably wait for the video. Michael Moore has a lot of good things to say, but he is just another guy yelling on his soapbox.
I guess my concern is when someone uses the word "call" when talking about God. Plus, I fail to see anything specific about Canada anywhere in Scripture. Our whole idea of nation-states is pretty foreign to the Bible, where Israel was more like a "people" rather than a "country".
That being said, I'd agree with the opinion that Canada is particularly well-suited to peacekeeping. I was watching something on The National about Darfur in Sudan, and one of the relief workers (or someone like that) was saying that a multinational force should get in there fast, and she mentioned Canada specifically. I think we've done good work like this before, and I think that's a heck of a lot better way to use an army than what W. is doing right now in Iraq (and Afghanistan, for that matter).
By the way, how did foreign policy come up at a "worship concert"???
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