Saturday, December 03, 2005
(12:39 AM) | Old - Doug Johnson:
Vietnam Redux
I have a feeling that some left leaning Americans may soon be getting a crash course in Canadian politics.Bushfolk have been keen to deny any parallels between Iraq and the Vietnam quagmire, but Monday will mark a critical juncture in what may soon make the spectre of Vietnam unavoidable. On Monday, Dec. 5th Ryan Johnson will become the fourth U.S. military figure to appear before Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) to appeal for refugee status after fleeing the U.S. in opposition to the illegal war in Iraq.
The political twistabout comes from the fact that just this past week Canada's minority but ruling Liberal party has been sent a-flapping by a no-confidence vote in the house of commons. Prime Minister Paul Martin will now have to count on predictions that his Liberal/NDP coalition will maintain control after a January elections, but such predictions are far from an overwhelming guarantee. The vote may hinge on a couple of dozen or so Ontario seats that were decided by less than 5% points in an election under a year and a half ago. Should Conservatives come into power, they would almost certainly immediately cozey up to Bush and his swarm of warmongers.
In yet another twist, Mr. Johnson (no relation to author) has already developed strong connections with the Christian Peacemaker Team/Catholic Worker crowd here in Toronto at the center of attention in the recent return of political kidnappings of internationals in Iraq. A vigil will be held Monday Evening in support of Mr. Johnson's appeal to the IRB from 7:30-9:30 at 74 Victoria Street in downtown Toronto.
As the Iraq debacle drags toward the start of its fourth year in early March of next year, we are almost certain to see an increase in the volume of U.S. war resisters in Canada. That may well mean increased U.S. attention to the upcoming Canadian election. You heard it first here at the weblog.
