A little something the Auld Man wrote a while ago that I felt needed a re-print.

I am moved to respond to the comments aired in your interview of our fearless Prime Minister, regarding his reflections on 9-11.

Looking upon these public comments from our country's leader fills me at once with a profound feeling of frustration and sadness and gives me a nauseous feeling in the pit of my stomach.This emotional response is surely not Jean's problem or concern, and frankly I cannot understand why I or anyone else in this country should be upset or surprised. It is not the first indication from Jean that he doesn't get it, and sadly I fear it will not be the last.

My questions for Jean, were I able to ask, would be as follows:
Where does he think "they" get their opinions about "the West"? Does he believe that "they" get them from the working poor 25 year old guy down the street at the shoe store trying his best to eke out a living, pay his taxes and have some sort of a life? Does he think "they" get their opinions from the single mom who is juggling education upgrading, a part time job and raising a family, while living in a basement suite?
Clearly Jean is unwilling to recognize publicly that "they" get their opinions of "the West" at least in part, from sources such as statesmen and politicians. Yes Jean, people like yourself who are out there in the international arena where you can be seen and your actions evaluated by all.
People who have no trouble lying into the faces of their own people, ( I will eliminate the GST if elected!) lining their own pockets and the pockets of their friends, (anyone in need of a hotel? hey, Bombardier, need any more dough?) or peddling their influence on behalf of their cronies, (excuse me Mr. Bank Manager, I would like to talk to you about a loan) and every other form of self serving, self indulgent behavior that they can conceive. All the while they support and propagate the system that put all of them in the position to prosper. So this is where some of the attitudes toward "the West" are derived.
Now Jean puts forth that if "they" see statesmen and politicians and business owners from "the West" as self serving, money grubbing crooks, largely the same as their counterparts in their own countries, that this realization on their behalf somehow provides a sliver of justification to murder 3000 innocent civilians.
Whew, that is quite a leap for the moronic tax paying working stiffs in this country. I doubt that most of us picked up on it. Jean's take, after a year of reflection, is that not only are we responsible to keep the dough flowing into that political pig trough that is Ottawa, but also into the political pig troughs of third world countries because they're poor.
This just in Jean, there are poor people here too, except to the best of my knowledge, they are not plotting to murder any civilians in another country. Now add to this that as part of "the West" Jean thinks that we are somehow, someway responsible in some part for this murderous cowardly act against humanity, and you can see the reason for my frustration, sadness and ill feeling. Yes Jean, we are part of "the West". And while it is presently popular to bash the USA, the term "the West" includes us as well.

Thanks Jean, you are an inspiration to us all.

-P.D. Jaeger