Canada closes embassy in Iran, expels diplomats

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hUox3ZSMmeN64r1HWA-u3wg3SLSw?docId=56dbb2ab966740ea80a655dcbaa2a93c

Not surprising Harper would totally sell out to Netanyahu like this, but still, bleh.

[Smid]

Mulcair may have strong credentials with the Jewish community, but not all in his party are supporters of Israel, and some have prior form when it comes to speaking it against Israel. It will be the Opposition that will need to demonstrate discipline if they want to be competitive in ridings with a high Jewish vote.

[dead0man]

It's weird when the guy posting the article doesn't read it.

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Iran is run by horrible people and will be no matter how anti-Zionists try and spin sh**t.

[Emperor Dubya]

God Bless Canada

[MaxQue]

Mulcair may have strong credentials with the Jewish community, but not all in his party are supporters of Israel, and some have prior form when it comes to speaking it against Israel. It will be the Opposition that will need to demonstrate discipline if they want to be competitive in ridings with a high Jewish vote.

And current redistricting proposal put him in an even more Jewish riding.
Unless he decides in the new riding covering the east end of his current riding.

[Vote UKIP!]

God Bless Canada

[Pingvin]

God Bless Canada

[CLARENCE 2015!]

Good for Harper- he is better then even Mulroney!

[Foucaulf]

A sublimely stupid move - ranks as one of the worst decisions of the Harper government so far (next to C-10 and C-12)

The problems are obvious from an idealist viewpoint. From a realist viewpoint, two big problems:

-Canada would have pissed off a lot of countries doing this following others, but doing it unilaterally takes away all excuse. Move forward a few years and governments will think we're America's biggest stooge. Has Canada's rejected Security Council bid taught us anything?-
-There are around 150000 Iranians living in Canada, around the same proportion of the population as the States. They are here either to do business or to pursue studies, like Iranians in America. For this reason the States cracked down very hard on visas, but not shut it off completely. With a move like Canada's the whole visa process has been thrown into chaos.

Sometimes I hate being a Canadian, because I have to watch the government following one of the world's most inane foreign policies. I'm sure everyone involved knows better, so I agree with a theory that this closure was caused by a bill that allows "victims of terrorists" to sue their sponsor states somehow. All goes back to this terrible misconception that there exist authoritarian states today that maintain power by popular support, and not by building institutions around certain interest groups...

...And I'm pissed off; God can't help me now.

[Vote UKIP!]

Good for Harper- he is better then even Mulroney!

[Hash]

Good for Harper- he is better then even Mulroney!

It isn't hard to be better than Mulroney, but Harper is in no way better than Mulroney.

[Supersonic]

Good for Harper- he is better then even Mulroney!

[AkSaber]

Let's just hope this doesn't lead to even more saber-rattling and they quickly re-establish diplomatic ties.   

[MaxQue]

Let's just hope this doesn't lead to even more saber-rattling and they quickly re-establish diplomatic ties.   

It won't happen, knowing Harper.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Good for Harper- he is better then even Mulroney!

I'm not sure about that. Mulroney projected firm leadership. Harper is slimy. He's a fantastic Machiavellian, but he's not likeable in any way whatsoever.

Plus, I give Mulroney huge props for trying to bring Quebec into the constitution. I still think it's a huge deal that they haven't formally approved it.

[RogueBeaver]

Not entirely out of the blue. Personally I don't have strong feelings about it one way or the other.

[MaxQue]

No matter of their political leanings, I doubt anybody likes Harper for its personnal qualities.
He is not charismatic at all and doesn't express any feeling. He is like a robot.

People votinh for Conservatives aren't doing that out of love for Harper.