Lloyd Axworthy takes off the Gloves.

[LibertyorDeath]

Axworthy fires back at U.S. -- and Canadian -- critics of our BMD decision in An Open Letter to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Thursday, March 3rd, 2005

By LLOYD AXWORTHY

Dear Condi,

snip

Coming to Ottawa might also expose you to a parliamentary system that has a thing called question period every day, where those in the executive are held accountable by an opposition for their actions, and where demands for public debate on important topics such a missile defence can be made openly.

You might also notice that it's a system in which the governing party's caucus members are not afraid to tell their leader that their constituents don't want to follow the ideological, perhaps teleological, fantasies of Canada's continental co-inhabitant. And that this leader actually listens to such representations.

Your boss did not avail himself of a similar opportunity to visit our House of Commons during his visit, fearing, it seems, that there might be some signs of dissent. He preferred to issue his diktat on missile defence in front of a highly controlled, pre-selected audience.

Much more http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/3/3/10423/16639

[whistle]

1. Ahaaa, accountability, something the Bush administration....

...tries to avoid at all costs.

[LibertyorDeath]

2. Sooner or later the Piper gets Payed it's like one of those

immutable laws of Nature.

[Lautremont]

3. I'm glad someone posted this.

I read it in the paper this morning. I wish Lloyd was still in politics - he's not unstatesmanlike, and mostly seems to represent the best of the Liberal party. That's my memory, anyway. Being a simple university president who occasionally writes editorials seems almost a waste of his passions.

[LibertyorDeath]

4. Good thread here also

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3211937&mesg_id=3211937&page=

[Spazito]

5. His letter is so awesome!

He has articulated exactly my thoughts on the issues he addressed. I sent him an e-mail thanking him, I hope others do as well. I suspect he will be getting nasty ones from right wingers in the US and the wanna-be ones in Canada.

[ailsagirl]

9. How would I find his email address?? I'd like to email him, too

[Spazito]

10. Here is his e-mail, it goes to his University

[email protected]

[ailsagirl]

11. Thanks, Spazito-- I just emailed him

[ailsagirl]

6. Canada, you're BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

What more can I say???

:hug:

[Canadian Socialist]

7. we're really thin and rich?

sorry, couldn't resist.

[ailsagirl]

8. Better than that-- you guys are upright and honest

It seems like such a long time since we've seen that down here.

"sigh"

[ConcernedCanuk]

12. He does write one heck of a letter

.
.
.

Allow me to share a wee more of it:

I know it seems improbable to your divinely guided master in the White House that mere mortals might disagree with participating in a missile-defence system that has failed in its last three tests, even though the tests themselves were carefully rigged to show results.

/snip/

"As our erstwhile Prairie-born and bred (and therefore prudent) finance minister pointed out in presenting his recent budget, we've had eight years of balanced or surplus financial accounts. If we're going to spend money, Mr. Goodale added, it will be on day-care and health programs, and even on more foreign aid and improved defence.

Sure, that doesn't match the gargantuan, multi-billion-dollar deficits that your government blithely runs up fighting a "liberation war" in Iraq, laying out more than half of all weapons expenditures in the world, and giving massive tax breaks to the top one per cent of your population while cutting food programs for poor children.

Just chalk that up to a different sense of priorities about what a national government's role should be when there isn't a prevailing mood of manifest destiny. "

--------------------------------------------------------

I'd like to see Jim Lehr or John Stewart read the whole letter on air!

Aw heck - let Leno have a crack at it

or Bill Maher

They ALL got a way with words ya know!

Our Mike Bullard could give it a good reading too ya know!

Anyhoo

well done Lloyd :thumbsup:

[V. Kid]

13. Oh Lloyd you win a prize...

...for kicking some serious butt. Wow that was an awesome letter, and to think from a former politician. It's so funny too, because it's pretty subtle so who knows how much of it they'll be able to recognize. He just seriously :nuke:(ed) them verbally and gave a huge :spank:(ing). The Honourable Dr. Lloyd Axworthy is defenetly worthy (he he he) of the Honourable title (and other ones too), well Dr.Axworthy :yourock:. He gives me a good reason to have a smilie :party:. Oh yeah he gets a :toast: too -- might as well use another smilie eh?