Thingy I wrote for a public comment to a National Post article.

Beyond shock: reality.

The actions of a neighbour, business partner, ally and friend, acting in its own interest shouldn't shock us. We are quite capable of doing the same, just in smaller and less widely perceived chunks. It is ingrained upon the Canadian consciousness to maintain a healthy mistrust of our cousins to the South. It is, afterall, they who in the midst of our (Britain) war with another self-proclaimed ruler, Napoleon, decided that we needed to be freed from the pangs of colonial rule and promptly invaded us in 1812. While it is generally considered impolite to remind them of this, they have time and again with ample regularity demonstrated what it means to be the kid on the block with all the money and all the candy. If not begrudging us (with the Kaiser's help no less) sea access to our own gold rush and the loss of the Alaska Panhandle, then the constant modern-day reminders of this master-servant relationship, or scratch-my-back-and-I-will-maybe-scratch-yours in the softwood lumber dispute, the constant fishing squabbles, mad cow, SARS, and now being shut out of reconstruction bidding in Iraq. We really shouldn't be shock or surprised.

The reality is that we are talking about US taxpayer dollars and what government on Earth could and would face the backlash of its home public if it became public knowledge that the very people that have sniped at them and questioned their motives and actions and now bask in the security of an evil removed (you must be very naive or cruel to think that Saddam Hussein's rule was benevolent), are now recipients of equally hard-earned tax dollars? The legality of the invasion/war/liberation in Iraq is really moot - Saddam is not currently in power and the Americans are. Whether here in North America or abroad in their administered territories, we simply cannot expect anything less that parochial and childish behavior from a government that sees enemies amongst her long-term and war-tested friends, and treats everyone with a daily filter of the "if you are not with us, you are against us" test.

The pure arrogance of that sentiment must be clear since it is an extract from the Bible. Jesus giving clear indication not to sit on the spiritual fence. What arrogance and confidence in their own prowess, industry and nation are these Americans that they equate themselves to God? I fear that this arrogance will continue much as a schoolyard bully may thrive - until someone or something hands him the short end of the stick. Then he goes around and asks for friends. As always, as the good neighbours that we try to be and playing by the rules, we shall only be too happy to pick up our wayward neighbour, dust him off with a friendly pat on the back and help him on his way.

Or will we?