Monday, September 24, 2012

The Ottawa Outreach?

Canada isn't feeling the love:

Did you smile or cheer when U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced Quantitative Easing III (and the markets went up)?

He just declared war on your job, and the whole Canadian economy.

Of course, so did the European Central Bank, the central bank of the Peoples' Republic of China and others.

All of them are engaged in the same practice. They're printing money. Gobs of it, in programs that have no end point.

Some are doing it to apply stimulus to revive their economies. Some are doing it to play extend-and-pretend games to hold their banks together.

For a country like Canada, with an economy in reasonably good shape, a government that's not out of control, banks that are healthy and dependent on exports, it's a declaration of war.

Face it, we've alienated Canada. Our smart, nuanced diplomacy has pushed the most polite country you could ever have on your border to despair of working with us (tip to Instapundit):

While managing a bilateral relationship is never easy, especially one as complex and multi-faceted as that between Canada and the U.S., sources close to the Canadian government stress that America totally did not break up with Canada, Canada broke up with it first. They point to the Obama administration’s politically motivated decision to block approval of the Keystone XL pipeline extension as an important irritant in the relationship, adding that America has been avoiding Canada in the halls for weeks.

Sure, the Cairo Outreach hasn't done us any good with the Moslem world. To say the least.

But still, our president's fans tell us he gives great speeches. I suggest it is time for President Obama to orchestrate an Outreach to the Canadian world to our north. He must go to the Great White North to give a speech in Ottawa (not Toronto, if anyone in the White House is reading) to show he understands our strangely alien neighbor whose citizens cling to Tim's and hockey sticks.

We must begin now to heal the great rift between our people before Canadians start blaming us for the NHL lock out and begin triple-triple-fueled riots at baseball stadiums.

Lord knows I don't need more problems at Customs on the US-Canadian border. If it makes Canadians feel better, our president seems to be at war with us, too.

UPDATE: Actually, baseball riots aren't a worry. Given the difficulties we're having with our pro football, will Canadians decide that the performance of the replacement referees is a sign from God that American football is a sin and that we should all be playing by Canadian rules? Three downs? Ten meter lines? I've watched it and had no idea how they scored. It's just not right.

Good grief, people. This could get seriously bad. I want that Ottawa Outreach, now!