OTTAWA -- Canada must be more than "just a port in the storm" for dual citizens living abroad, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Monte Solberg said Tuesday.
The Conservative government is taking a long look at the issue of dual citizenship in the wake of this summer's evacuation of some 15,000 people from Lebanon during the Israeli bombardment...
[...]
"If we're in a situation where somebody's absent, isn't paying taxes but is going to be using our social programs down the road, I think Canadians would feel that is unfair," said the minister.
To understand the political calculus behind Solberg's musings, a little historical context is in order. The Tory's original concerns re. dual citizenship arose during the 2006 Summer War between Israel and Lebanon. If you remember, the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) had just slaughtered a bunch of Canadian citizens in Aitaroun, and Harper needed a few brown-skinned scapegoats to draw attention away from the fact that our "allies" had killed Canucks. Thus a new meme was born: the "ungrateful Lebanese-Canadian dual citizen". For a time, this little episode of race-baiting firmed up support behind Harper's policy of letting Israeli bombs fall like rain.
Now, during similar hard times, the Tory's have decided to try the same play again.
Not too frightening in itself, because Conservatives do what Conservatives do. What is disturbing is how apparently mainstream commentators like Andrew Coyne are willing to run cover for an act of crude political racism by slathering over Solberg's statement with gibberish until it seems part of a coherent political philosophy (other than the standard Con philosophy of "Let's bash the swarthy!").
Deep in his heart, Andy knows better. He must have false consciousness right up the wazoo.
6 comments:
this tact is sure to win harper's govt even more support in urban canada and thereby assure him of his majority
Ti-guy,
True, they don't rise to the bait so predictably, but I think that's a good thing. In a few months they are where the Republicans got to after 12 years; they know they're wrong and they want discipline. They've basically run out of steam, and literally need a spanky.
But, just out of curiosity, what does work these days? I'm playing the Conservative = secretly gay angle, however the results are mixed. And calling their mothers a whore comes up zero.
PS. I know they're sick, but your're spelling it wrong.
Hey Urban Libranos, hard to say what works on this bush goober, but I have found this excellent for pushing Liberal buttons. A couple of my friends and I used to go to the hotel where the Liberal convention was going on every year, dressed in our rural Sunday best, wander the hospitality suites and tell the girls we were on the intergovernmental liason committee, or some other such nonsense and bang! Nothing, but nothing on earth sucks cock like a Liberal girl at a convention. I'm talking lamprey eel, chrome off a trailer hitch, golf ball through a garden hose hummer. My point? Oh yeah. Depending on your age, Librano, either your wife or your daughter might have a DNA sample of mine. Enjoy.
Jokes on you, Grithater. Those weren't really women.
Quality is quality BCL.
Don't sweat it ti-guy, I'll bet even you could get a piece at a Librano convention. If not, I promise I'll pick up a spare for you.
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