Newfoundland geese, Nigerian bombers
Posted December 30, 2009 on 3:08 am | In the category Canada, U.S. Domestic Policy, U.S. Foreign Policy | by Mackenzie BrothersApparently the Canada geese that knocked that plane down into the Hudson river a few months ago were really from Newfoundland. Quick-thinking scientists did DNA tests on them that proved they were invaders from somewhere around l’anse aux meadows on the northern tip of the northern peninsula of the island where the Vikings once began the invasion of the Americas. For some reason this was met with a sigh of relief in certain quarters since it demonstrated that these weren’t American canadian geese. US geese apparently don’t do such things.
And now we have yet another shoe bomber/self immolator who strived mightily and unsuccessfully to commit suicide by killing 300 other folks in the process, and he too came from foreign shores. The result of this misadventure was total chaos in airports servicing the US market as security was tightened to the point of strangulation. The question is: what difference does it make where the wannabee killer came from, the result would be the same. Why have the greatest disruptions occurred at the US customs barriers at major European and Canadian airports, where security is surely better than at many domestic airports? Would the US Homeland security boss’s amazingly nutty statement some months ago that the 9/11 bombers came from Canada have anything to do with it? Canadians are amazed to still hear that urban myth when they visit the US and are even more amazed to discover Mme Napolitoni is still in charge of homeland security, though back then she had no idea how and where the 9/11 killers got on their planes.
In any case it is already clear that the only success that failed assassin will enjoy will involve the further isolation of the US because of border controls that are as useless as they are disheartening and ultimately counterproductive. Travellers are already looking around for some other place to visit and spend their money than in a place where a star-wars strip-search at the border has become a routine and legal procedure. Maybe the beaches of Cuba?
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1. That would be Napolitano. 2. And the beaches of Cuba sound appealing, after you’ve spent six hours in a 1949 Buick bumping along from the airport to your hotel. And what do you eat once you’ve exhausted the citrus category? Goat? 3. Given the critique of US transportation policy and practice (an easy mark, I’ll give you that!), I’m veritably smacking my lips in anticipation of transportation tales from the Winter Olympics. Let’s keep in mind that Vancouver has no freeways worth the name, usually a good thing, but a questionable distinction in these circumstances. The transports to Whistler alone should warrant ample crow-eating.
Comment by Marilyn — January 1, 2010 #
Smack no more. The multi-billion dollar upgrade to the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler has resulted in its being voted the most spectacular – and safe – highway in the world, and the new subway in Vancouver has convinced even the most auto-obsessed urbanites that the way to move city people around is under the ground not on top of it or even worse through it by cars on concrete.
Comment by Mackenzie Brothers — January 10, 2010 #