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Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris
Well, I hope you have a good birthday, Eric, in a free, independent country. Unfortunately, we won't be able to say that, as the European Consititution will have come into force (that's the one that we've had no vote on). We'll have our own president (some nonentity from Belgium who gets a bigger salary than Obama) and our own foreign minister (some Labour party nonentity who has never had a proper job and has never been democratically elected). We'll have our own flag and national anthem...in fact, we'll be a real superstate! And not once, have the British people been consulted about this. 
Anyway, pity I can't join you, Eric, we could drink a toast to the memory of Ben Johnson ("turn back to the hymn, boys!").  |
Maybe I'm getting thick in my old age, but I am straining to see the problem with just saying "no" ... and going it on your own. Canadians punished the govt. that signed NAFTA, destroyed them as a party ... and this was just a trade agreement, a formal recognition of something that already existed. And this with exemptions for things such as oil, natural gas, hydro generated electricity, our fresh water, and our cultural "industry." And where did this indepence get us? Read today in the local rag that Russia will be buying the "Loonie" as a reserve currency to support, if necessary, the Ruble. And although our economy is not out of the woods quite yet, we are doing a helluva lot better than our neighbours to the south. We are pursuing an independent policy with regards to Afghanistan, and will be out of there at the end of 20011. The Americans realise that we have done our bit, suffering cruel casualties ... 133 dead out of a battle group of only 2,800. In other words, we are still the "true North, strong and free." We are not North Americans, we are Canadians, and damn proud of it. Sure we have problems, but in a country six time zones wide with a culturally and linguistically diverse population including almost 700 First Nations (and Quebec
), that ain't surprising. But we will deal with the problems as Canadians.
It would be great to toast Ben Johnson ... Turning back to the hymn postponed the inevitable thrashing for missing late detention the night before
But at least I proved him wrong. I actually gave him a thought when I was awarded my Ph.D. He said I would never make it in university ... just had to prove the old sonofagun wrong.
Pity it took me so long doing it. Would have loved to have run into him, and to have said something like: "Good morning Mr. Johnson. Remember me, I'm Dr. Slater.