SPIEGEL ONLINE - March 3, 2005, 03:34 PM
URL: http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,344556,00.html
German Papers
It's Time For Canada to Join the EU
Canada shares the longest undefended border in the world with the
United States. Their economies are deeply intertwined with hundreds of
billions in trade. But this week's decision by Ottawa to reject
Washington's missile defense plan shows that politically, Canadians
are from Venus and Americans from Mars. Plus, Germany's official
traveling salesman stumps in the Middle East.
Canada has decided not to take part in America's missile defense
shield. It's time to begin EU accession talks. <...>
"Sovereignty and autonomy on the one side and a tight relationship
with its neighbor and thoughtfulness on the other are the two poles
between which Canada moves," muses the business daily Handelsblatt.
That tightrope walk can make for tricky relations between Canada and
the US -- a paring that has become increasingly difficult since the
Iraq war. But Baghdad wasn't the first fight in this power marriage.
"In the 1970s, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau annoyed the US with his
Cuba policies, by establishing diplomatic relations with China (before
the US) and by opening the country to Vietnam draft dodgers," it
writes. Those difficulties were followed in the '80s and '90s by
increased cooperation. But in recent years, Canada has promoted the
International Criminal Court and ratified the Kyoto Protocol, putting
Washington in a "huff." "Since Bush's election, both societies seem to
be diverging," it adds. "It's become easier than ever for Canadians to
define their identity as the opposite of that of the America of the
Republicans." Ottawa long ago did away with the death penalty, it has
strict gun control laws and the list of diverging societal values is
growing. Now Canada wants to introduce same sex marriages, which the
US has rejected. And unlike Washington, which has a zero-tolerance
policy on drugs, Ottawa is planning to decriminalize small quantities
of marijuana. A recent poll found that 33 percent of Canadians believe
faith plays an important role in their daily lives compared to 60
percent of Americans. "Canadians believe they view the world in a more
'international' way," Handelsblatt writes, "that they believe they are
more European when it comes to their views of 'social values'."
The center-left Sueddeutsche Zeitung says the latest blowing of hot
air is much ado about nothing. "Once again Canada and the US have no
understanding of each other," it opines. "The Americans see the latest
decision of their northerly neighbor not to participate in the missile
defense program as a slap in the face." Washington, it says, has
carefully masked its rage over the decision. Condoleezza Rice even
planned to cancel a visit to Ottawa until Canada pleaded with her to
come. "But Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin is probably unhappier:
George W. Bush still hasn't returned the call he made last week in
which he planned to inform the US government of Ottawa's position."
It's not the first time America has given Canada the cold shoulder --
Bush cancelled a visit after it opposed the Iraq war. And public
opinion polls show Canadians don't care much for their neighbors.
"With the rejection of the missile defense system, the Americans now
have more doubts than ever about the Canadians' reliability," it adds.
Still, the pair share deeply interwoven economies, an undefended
border and they share a North American defense pact. "Americans and
Canadians are damned to friendship -- and short-term arguments won't
change a thing," it concludes. <...>
Serbian News Network - SNN
news@antic.org
http://www.antic.org/
