Korean Job Discussion Forums

[laconic2]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4652746.stm

[mindmetoo]

I remember Canada biatching about this in the '80s, ready to develop some nuclear ice breakers. It's always a rallying cry. People accuse the liberals of stoking anti-Americanism but "let's defend the northwest passage" is the conservative equivalent.

Yeah, the north west passage is probably Canadian territory but then it's also a critical international waterway. Let Egypt try and shut down the Suez or Panama the canal.

[Manner of Speaking]

I would laugh. The US media and conservative groups automatically assumed that because Harper is a Conservative, he would turn out to be a lapdog. Harper's position on submarine listening networks, icebreakers and Arctic sovereignty were clear before the election, he made a point of saying so in a speech.

What Harper should do now is take Canadian claims to sovereignty in the Arctic to the World Court to clarify Canada's legal position.

[Wrench]

Believe it or not Canada has a really good navy for our military size. Canadian frigits are the fastest battle ready ships on earth. If the ICE breakers are designed and built by the same company that made the Frigates I would fear them.

[cheeba]

This is just shrewd politics on the part of Harper/Bush. 1 day after the election they have a spat over sovereignty? Gimme a break. State knows how Bush is perceived up here and Canadian urbanites already think Harper will be a little too close to the US. Harper has better political instincts than Martin though . . .

[mithridates]

Having ships up there is more important than you would think:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/09/news/arctic.php

This is a long-term strategy as the arctic slowly opens up from global warming. Being able to survey the area for underground mountains that are part of a country's land mass will be able to boost the land claim by a lot.

[marlow]

How can this be an issue?

It's Canada's. Simple. If other countries want to pass through Canada's waters, they'll have to notify us. It's not like we would block passage or anything.

[Gopher]

You're no better than the Chileans and the Argentines who bicker over who owns Antarctica.

If this becomes an open waterway, a sea line of communication, and we are passing no closer than three miles from your coastline, then go ahead and stand in our way. I dare you.

[mindmetoo]

[laconic2]

Excerpts from "Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:"


"In 1985 the U.S. icebreaker Polar Sea was sent through. The U.S. Government made a point of not asking permission from the Canadians for the passage. They claimed that it was simply a cost effective way to get the ship from Greenland to Alaska and that there was no reason for them to be asking permission to travel through international waters. The Canadian government maintained that the waters were internal to Canada, and issued a declaration in 1986 reaffirming Canadian rights to the waters. However, the USA, European Union, and Japan, among other countries, refused to recognize the Canadian claim. [1]

In late 2005, it was revealed that U.S. nuclear submarines had been traveling the passage without Canadian approval, sparking Canadian outrage."


Icebreaker takes on nuclear submarine.

Could be interesting.

I still don't know whether to laugh or cry.

[Leslie Cheswyck]

[mithridates]

Mm, looks like a good pissing contest shaping up here, and this time it's about a real issue. Professor Xavier has some words of wisdom though:

[mithridates]

[Gopher]

[laconic2]