Consider some hard followup issues: Benjamin Netanyahu becomes the leader of Israel, eliminates Iran’s nuclear equipment, and then looks for help in fighting off increased terror attacks.
Surgically invaded, its atom plants bombed out, Iran cuts oil production, and Canada is asked to meet North American energy needs at below market prices. Terrorists pass through soft Canadian security on their way to a successful attack on a major U.S.target. The Americans threaten border closures if we don’t raise our standards.
These and other international challenges will occupy the world’s headlines for the next couple of years. I think Harper and his party will respond rationally, and will wish to co-operate with the U.S. to confront the threat. The real question is, what will the other parties do? The left will tell us we can’t afford to live up to our responsibilities. Short-sighted political strategists will say another election might be countenanced by Canadians if called on the basis of foreign policy.
I don’t know how it will play out. But it seems certain that our parochial worries about gay marriage, UNESCO status for Quebec diplomats, and one per cent cuts in the sales tax will pale beside the threat of atomic war among the peoples of the Bible, or biological terrorism in Paris, London and New York. It was dishonourable of us to free ride during the Cold War, but we got away with it. If that history leads us to shirk our burden this time, we might not be so lucky.
