Demagogue of the Day

That’s a misleading title; John Gibson is a demagogue every day.

This program involves the U.S. building a missile defense system and hopefully being able to shoot down missiles aimed at America — presumably from some nut job nation like North Korea (search). There’s no question the danger exists. The North Koreans have built the missiles, they have the bomb and they’re mad at us. But mysteriously the Canadians pulled out of the deal because public opinion is so anti-American — specifically so anti-American military.

Hey, John; if you have an answer, it’s not a mystery.

Now here’s the rub: North Korean missiles might very well be coming at America over Canada, and a missile defense system might have to shoot down a missile heading our way over Canada. The Canadian prime minister said, “This is our airspace. We’re a sovereign nation and you don’t intrude on a sovereign nations’ airspace without seeking permission.” In other words, George W. Bush, kindly give us a call and get our permission before you defend yourself. We won’t shoot down missiles aimed at you using our airspace and you may not either unless we say OK.

The proper response from Bush ought to be, “Oh yeah? You and whose army?”

See, the Canadians don’t believe in spending money on an army. What’s the point? The Americans are going to defend the continent anyway. Let the dumb Americans pay for it. But now they want us to give a call and ask permission before we defend a maxi 9/11? Canada, c’mon — Bush invaded a country without your permission. You think he’s going to be worried about your sovereign airspace?

I suppose that it would be appropriate to remind Gibson and all the other foreigner-haters out there that Canadians were fighting and dying in the war against Hitler’s Germany for two full years before the US became involved, and that, as Scott never fails to remind, the United States maintained correct diplomatic relations with Nazi Germany well into the Second World War. It could serve some purpose to point out that Canadians fought and died in the war against Imperial Germany for three full years before the US became involved. It might be helpful to remind Gibson that the political party to which his network is beholden to, the Republicans, were virulently opposed to any assistance for Great Britain, France, and the other countries fighting the Nazis, and that FDR, the man the Republicans still love to hate, pushed through Lend-Lease against heavy Republican obstruction.

Then again, it might not. Historical context has never been a strong point at Fox News.

The Canadians better hope that if the North Koreans fire a missile at
the U.S. they gas it up so it doesn’t fall short — if you get my drift.

Chuckle. It would be hilarious if North Korea fired a nuclear missile at the US and that, instead of being missed by a US interceptor on its way down, it incinerated a couple million Canadians. I’d be rolling on the floor, let me tell you.