Chretien Gone

Well, PM Jean Chretien is finally leaving, and was given a gala farewell at Toronto's Air Canada Centre (home of the Leafs and Raptors). I only managed to catch a very brief glimpse on TV when they had a performer from Cirque Du Soliel doing some strange dance in some giant latex ball. Hmm.. I wonder if was supposed to represent Chretien's political career? In any event, in Chretien's speech, he touched upon Canada's decision not to join the states in the Iraq war. Chretien, 69, got the strongest applause last night when he evoked Canada's decision not to participate in the war in Iraq, when he said that Canadians have never been more sure of who they are, and when he told the audience that if they remembered only one thing from his speech, it should be that Liberals must never lose their social conscience. Why is it that our national identity is defined by the fact that we opposed the Americans? This reminds me of a time a while back when some politician accused the ruling provincial government of adopting American policies. It seemed from his criticism that there was something inherently wrong with it because it was "American". But that is ridiculous. I don't assume the government adopted that policy simply because it was "American". So why should we oppose it because it is "American"? If it was a good policy, then it should be kept, regardless of origin. If it was not a good policy, then say so.