What does a nation do when it has no foreign policy, and no one pays it any attention? Why, invent one.
Sweden discovered this trick in the 1970's. Swedish political life was intolerably boring, consisting of special interest groups loudly squabbling to get ever bigger handouts from government - rather like Canada today.
Socialist Prime Minister Olof Palme had the inspiration to plunge into foreign affairs, even though Sweden had zero influence abroad. Unfazed, Palme proclaimed Sweden an international `moral force.' Palme's greatest admirer, Canada's Pierre Trudeau, immediately followed suit.
Sweden championed such remote, but trendy, issues as South Africa, East Timor, and Tanzania. None had anything at all to do with Sweden or Swedes, but that didn't stop Palme from making each a cause celebre. Palme's hot air made Swedes feel morally superior, self-important and, they assumed, quite incorrectly, admired worldwide. Better yet, Sweden's moral crusading cost next to nothing.
Ottawa has been following the Swedish model of ersatz, no- cost foreign policy by pressing its international crusade against anti-personnel mines, The Canadian military has not used mines since the Korean War - that's 44 years ago. Canada, which has been hectoring the US and other military powers on the evils of mines, has virtually disarmed, and given over its defense to the US..
Combat troops in Canada's armed forces have shrunken to under 15,000: smaller than New York City's Transit Police., This pathetic figure is unworthy even of Paraguay, never mind a leading industrial power and founding NATO member. For militarily impotent Canada, which has more generals than tanks, this week's destruction of its remaining stocks of mines, was like blowing up stores of army buggy whips. .
Posturing over mines costs Ottawa nothing and earns lots of support from the Left, particularly churches, academia and the relentlessly anti-American CBC, and Toronto Star. Ottawa even has the chutzpah to claim the partial international ban on AP mines will stop civilian deaths. Nonsense. .
Most current deaths from mines occur in seven nations: Angola, Mozambique, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Indian-occupied Kashmir, Chechnya (Ishkeria) and Cambodia where millions of mines are buried in unmarked minefields, or scattered widely about. Russia recently strewed 1.5 million mines across Chechnya(Ishkeria) to terrorize its independence-seeking people into submission. Canada made not one peep of protest about this frightful crime against humanity.
If Canada really wanted to do something about mines, it would send mine-clearing teams to these nations and allocate tens of millions of dollars to finance the laborious work of clearing, which will require years. Canada could adopt Afghanistan or Chechnya, clear the millions of mines in those ravaged nations, and rebuild roads. That's putting your money where your mouth is.
The US, which rightly refused to sign the ban until North Korea collapses, is spending US $100 million to clear mines. This is real action.
It takes cold cash, not hot air, to clear mines.
Think about it: Ottawa scolds the US, which defends Canada, while closing its eyes to Russia's mine-terror in Chechnya. Why hasn't Canada cut aid and subsidized wheat sales to Russia in protest? Why no protest over the vast minefields India has laid in Kashmir?
The US needs dense AP minefields to protect its troops facing the 1.7 million-man North Korean army. If Ottawa is so determined to eliminate mines, why not send Canadian troops to reinforce their American allies up on the Korean DMZ. That's called putting your troops where your mouth is.
No nation, save the Vatican, is a `moral force' in world affairs. Like Sweden, Canada is
playing `let's pretend' in foreign affairs. Empty feel-good puffery replaces policy. After all
the political theatrics, Princess Di dilettantism, and Noble Prize humbug, the same millions
of mines still remain in the ground, and will kill some 35,000 people next year.
copyright eric margolis 1997
Reprinted with Permission
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Eric Margolis
Syndicated Columnist/Foreign Affairs Analyst
The Toronto Sun