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Reminds me of when our Canadian PM at the time, Jean-Chrétien, stood up to Blair and Bush who visited him. https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/politiq

Reminds me of when our Canadian PM at the time, Jean-Chrétien, stood up to Blair and Bush who visited him. https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/politique-canadienne/201303/12/01-4630429-guerre-en-irak-quand-chretien-a-tenu-tete-a-bush-et-blair.php https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/politique-canad... "Their proof wouldn't even convince one of the local court judge here!" "If we begin to remove every dictator, who's going to be next? Why not Robert Mugabe? They told me he's not the same than Saddam. Well of course he doesn't have oil!"

cmrdporcupine 5y ago
Chretien was fully prepared to join in until it became very clear from protests and polls that the Canadian public wasn't going to stand for it. They hadn't fully committed to non-involvement until then. And even then, there was still support for the "allies" just not direct military involvement. Many people may not remember or may be too young. Those Feb and March protests were the biggest protest ever in history across the whole western world. "According to BBC News, between six and ten million people took part in protests in up to sixty countries over the weekend of 15 and 16 February." (WP) Police estimates for London, UK were 750k, but they were likely higher. I left work one evening when they first began bombing and marched through the streets of Toronto and the energy was crazy. The following saturday protest was 100,000 people at least and a lot calmer, but outside the US embassy the atmosphere was intense, angry and electric. It was much larger in Montreal if I recall.
- pyuser583 5y ago
  I remember those protests. I’m an American, but was living in Canada at the time. Some made me nervous- “fuck the Americans.” I’m very glad Canadians made their voices heard, and their leaders listened. But those protestors weren’t exactly questioning the (non-existent) evidence, as they were saying “fuck the Americans.” It reminded me of footage from the Seattle 1999 WTO protests. It’s better that be said before a war, rather than during. But still not fun to watch.
- TeeMassive 5y ago
  > Chretien was fully prepared to join in until it became very clear from protests and polls I don't have a reason to believe this is false, but do you have a reliable source confirming this?
  - cmrdporcupine 5y ago
    Nothing written, just heard this before, but I think there's a hint in the date that the gov't announced it would not participate (March 17th). That was the day of the biggest protest in Montreal.

cmrdporcupine 5y ago

Chretien was fully prepared to join in until it became very clear from protests and polls that the Canadian public wasn't going to stand for it. They hadn't fully committed to non-involvement until then. And even then, there was still support for the "allies" just not direct military involvement. Many people may not remember or may be too young. Those Feb and March protests were the biggest protest ever in history across the whole western world. "According to BBC News, between six and ten million people took part in protests in up to sixty countries over the weekend of 15 and 16 February." (WP) Police estimates for London, UK were 750k, but they were likely higher. I left work one evening when they first began bombing and marched through the streets of Toronto and the energy was crazy. The following saturday protest was 100,000 people at least and a lot calmer, but outside the US embassy the atmosphere was intense, angry and electric. It was much larger in Montreal if I recall.

pyuser583 5y ago
I remember those protests. I’m an American, but was living in Canada at the time. Some made me nervous- “fuck the Americans.” I’m very glad Canadians made their voices heard, and their leaders listened. But those protestors weren’t exactly questioning the (non-existent) evidence, as they were saying “fuck the Americans.” It reminded me of footage from the Seattle 1999 WTO protests. It’s better that be said before a war, rather than during. But still not fun to watch.
TeeMassive 5y ago
> Chretien was fully prepared to join in until it became very clear from protests and polls I don't have a reason to believe this is false, but do you have a reliable source confirming this?
- cmrdporcupine 5y ago
  Nothing written, just heard this before, but I think there's a hint in the date that the gov't announced it would not participate (March 17th). That was the day of the biggest protest in Montreal.