The war of words between Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin and U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins continued today. For those who missed the story yesterday, Wilkins sounded like a crybaby when he criticized Martin for being anti-US in his re-election campaign: "It may be smart election-year politics to thump your chest and criticize your friend and your number-one trading partner constantly. But it is a slippery slope, and all of us should hope that it doesn't have a long-term impact on the relationship," Wilkins said
Speaking to a crowd in British Columbia today, Martin bluntly refuted the attacks. "I am not going to be dictated to as to the subjects I should raise." In essence, he told the United States to fuck off. Read on to find out more about our ambassador's embarrassing behavior.
Apparently, the U.S. government still doesn't get that meddling in foreign elections makes people dislike the United States even more. Polls consistently show that a majority of Canadians disapprove of the Bush administration and its policies. So by directly criticizing Martin for being anti-American, Wilkins is actually giving political ammunition to Martin's embattled minority liberal government.
Stephen Harper, the leader of Canada's conservative opposition, has also moved to distance himself from Wilkins' remarks. Even though he's pledged to work more closely with the United States, he obviously realizes that it's not exactly to his political benefit to look like an American lap-dog.
Personally, I am appalled that a diplomatic representative of the United States would be so arrogant as to make these statements. When are we going to learn that we can't constantly be imperial goons who tell the rest of the world what to say or think?
