Keeping it Real…

Prime Minister Stephen Harper did the right thing.

For the first time in decades, Canada is again showing the world we WILL take a stand against dictators who oppress their own people, rule through fear, arrests and denial of even basic civil liberties; seize and bulldoze people’s homes with little or no compensation and pollute the environment on a scale that literally kills thousands of their own citizens every year.

China is the first Olympic host country EVER that, despite a spectacular opening ceremony and first-class sporting facilities,  will emerge with a worldwide image that is actually WORSE than before the games began.

And Harper was right to stay away from the Opening Ceremonies … Canada should be proud he took a stand.

Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien was wrong in whining that Harper erred in staying away and we will pay a price for doing so. By our Prime Minister’s absence, we spoke out loudly, but silently, for the wonderful Chinese people themselves, who are denied even the basic liberties of freedom of speech, freedom of association and even freedom of religion; we  delivered a message to their despotic leaders that we will not sell out the people of Tibet and Darfur for a few dollars; and, we served notice loud and clear that, if China wants to be respected as a true modern nation and world power, it must act like one.

What a shame it was to see so many other world “leaders” prostrating themselves and prostituting their countries’ principles by smiling, waving and bowing to the world’s largest dictatorship by attending the opening ceremonies. That didn’t work in Berlin in 1936 … and it won’t work in Beijing in 2008.

What a terrific message they could have sent if many leaders had stayed away: have their countries participate in the games, yes; send their foreign ministers to the opening, yes; but not send their TOP leaders to any World Class events held there until China proves it is worthy of being honoured and respected in that way.

Dictators know they can ignore and even disrespect the hollow treatises of “business as usual” capitalists, who sacrifice principles for profits.

Canada has served notice we are different; we DO believe in principles and we WILL stand up for them, publicly.

Will we pay a price?  Give me a break!  The Chinese Communists are Capitalists: if we have resources and they want them and they can get them at a good price … they will buy here! Simple as that! They have already shown by their own world-wide actions, they have no principles beyond self interest.

True … they may delay (once again) declaring Canada an officially “approved” tourist destination for Chinese nationals; they may slow down cultural and even some economic exchanges, and their leaders may bypass Canada on their way to/from the U.S. and the U.N.  Big deal!!

When you see the sacrifices many others in the world make on behalf of achieving and preserving basic rights and freedoms  … including our own forces in Afghanistan … Canadians can survive the temporary pique of China’s tyrants.

And as we do so, we can hold our heads high and proud that OUR country took a stand for those who cannot … and our Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, is to be praised, not pilloried.

Harv Oberfeld

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