U.S. is struggling for world domination

Re: “Tweeting minister needs to remember her job,” column, Aug. 12.

In his critique of Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland’s criticism of Saudi Arabia, Lawrie McFarlane betrays a considerable ignorance of current international reality. He writes that “if she is looking for an opportunity to give voice to Canadian values, she should start with Iran and North Korea.”

Earlier in the column, he points out that with respect to women, the newest dictator in the ruling Saudi family has embarked on a “carefully modulated” modernization plan that allows women to drive and open a business without male permission. Whoopee! The plan also seems to include blowing women and children to bits in Yemen.

But the point is not to see which country we can judge more harshly, or to smugly ignore our own humanrights shortcomings. It is to recognize that the U.S. is struggling for nothing less than world domination, sadly with Canada’s help.

McFarlane’s recommendation that we criticize Iran in particular is simply echoing the “my dictator is better than your dictator” approach that has characterized U.S. foreign policy for decades. This is not a battle of good against evil and it certainly doesn’t involve democracy. Americans are not interested in democracy.

If loyal foot soldier Canada’s foreign affairs minister dares speak unkindly to one of “our dictators,” good on her. Perhaps the uproar will prompt her to give thought to the values we say we are proud of and reconsider Canada’s place as the world’s sixth-largest arms merchant. I’m sure the kids in Yemen would appreciate it.

William S. Geimer Sooke