Bush League Remarks

I once thought Don Cherry and his rants were -harmless fun. His outspoken, colorful demeanour have become the hightlight to many a dull hockey game. His view that face visors are for wimps may even have some validity. His critique of European hockey players has contributed to a pride that Canada is still number one. But some of his wise-ass remarks on Coach's Corner have crossed the line and are way offside.

Cherry's position as a highly visible television personality carries with it some responsibility which he has handled poorly. In a country where a high proportion of elite athletes are French Canadian it's easy to understand how his comments could be taken as offensive. There are national sensibilities that Cherry does not seem to grasp. The outcry against some anti French remarks on the recent visit by Conan O'Brian's 'Late Night' illustrates my point. It turned a very positive visit by a popular American entertainer into one which showed a great deal of damaging insensitivity. It was like Mike Bullard doing his show in New York City dissing Jews and Hispanics.

Much more troubling though have been Cherry's on air remarks about the war in Iraq. He has suggested – as if it were a hockey game – that we should back our friends, the Americans no matter what – in a war that the Canadian government and the majority of Canadians considered unjustified. War is not a game. In foreign affairs Cherry is strictly 'bush' league and Coach's Corner is no place to be airing such views. Read More......

My argument against the Iraq war

I accept that Saddam is a nasty tyrant. I could even accept an initiative to challenge his control in Iraq. But I feel the actions taken by the US have been heavy handed and globally divisive. A large part of the world finds this deadly war wrong. The public reasons to attack Iraq given by George and Tony are clearly false. The claim that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction as well as having active connections to terrorist groups is unproven. And an acceptable case for war has not been made. Yet they go in anyway. Much of the respect for America around the world has come into question and has been replaced by contempt. How can it be productive in the war on terrorism or the advancement of world peace or the betterment of counties like Iraq if America is so detested in so much of the world, especially in countries it claims to be liberating?

America's refusal to cooperate within the framework of the United Nations is and will, I believe, set America on a backward track. The UN is all we have for reasoned, civilized resolution of world problems. The fact that a country that is suspected of having weapons of mass destruction is willing to allow inspectors free access is a precedent that could have continued to other countries like Iran and North Korea. This is an initiative that could realistically lead toward world disarmament. True world progress. Yet the US chose to ignore the UN and significant world opinion. This certainly reveals the Bush administration's true imperialist intentions.

So how is it that so many Americans, many of them thoughtful and intelligent, believe that this war is just and worthwhile? Part of it is the concept of backing the commander in chief without question, like good soldiers "ours is not to reason why - ours is but to do and die". Part of it is through control and manipulation of the media. The 'embedded' reporters; the non objective analysts; the war games generals; CNN and especially Fox. Our much more balanced CBC has, I feel, contributed to the much greater understanding by Canadians to what's really happening and the reasons. Aside from the 'weapons of mass destruction' and 'terrorist ties' rhetoric there is little talk on the reasons to go to war in the American media. Many Americans just simply refuse to accept the concept that the leaders of their country could be so wrong. Read More......