A quick letter to the editor on the story featuring an attack on Paul Martin by the US ambassador [click here for story]. I am almost convinced that the whole thing was a set up to make Martin look good because Martin is one of the most pro-American federal party leaders ever to be prime minister. His criticisms of the US are pure theatre and designed - like so much of his strategy - to scoop votes from the left.

Don’t let him.

[I often suggest short, punchy letters. See the bottom of this email for what I mean - a couple of letters published in the G&M.]

Here’s a few points on Martin and his phony anti-Americanism:

• What a gift for a pro-American prime minister - a blistering attack from an American ambassador.
  
  
• Martin made it clear as finance minister in the Chretien cabinet that he wanted Canada to join in the Iraq war.
  
  
• As P.M. it was equally clear that he wanted to join the Ballistic Missile Defence plan but was prevented by an overwhelming opposition from Canadians.
  
  
• Paul Martin made his support for American foreign policy clear by:
  
  
  • Joining in the coup against the elected government of Haiti. [The RCMP has been involved in Haiti for over a year now. We know that Canadian Special Forces were involved in securing the airport when Jean-Bertrand Aristide was forcibly removed from the country by US military forces on February 29, 2004.]
  • Canada more than any other country in the OAS supported the US in its efforts to impose the FTAA on Latin America and the Carribean.
  • Throughout his time as finance minister was a major contributor to an economic policy that favoured more free trade agreements.
  • Is an eager partner with the US in efforts to undermine international efforts to ban so-called ‘Terminator’ seeds - made almost exclusively by US companies.
  • While he has maintained Canada’s decision not to send troops to Iraq, Martin has been absolutely silent about the slaughter going on there and has moved Canadian troops in Afghanistan into more dangerous areas, freeing up US soldiers to go to Iraq.
  • Martin has implemented the biggest defence spending increases in fifteen years and all of it will undermine our peace-keeping role - preparing Canadian forces for a ‘war fighting’ ability, specifically rapid response - exactly what the Americans have been asking him for.
  
  
• Martin for all his huffing and puffing has done nothing serious to challenge the American’s arrogance on soft wood lumber.
  
  
• Perhaps most important, Martin last March signed a deep integration agreement with Bush and Mexico’s Vincente Fox. It is called the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America under which “each nation will establish ministerial-level Security and Prosperity Partnership working groups.” The integration of the US and Canada is already under way - and the principal bargaining chips - Canada’s energy and water - are on offer.