Hi Tweets

Fred Bird writes:

>As to the Xantus' choice of destination, let alone mode, I'd be tempted
>to lay the blame on Canada's economically (or is it liberally?) inspired
>immigration policies.

Blame? If the arrival and stay of this little beauty is the result of our
liberal immigration laws, Fred, then I say, no blame attached--let 'em in.
The people whose property it frequents welcomed it by putting feeders up for
it. Of course, we may be using the term 'liberal' in different ways: in
Canada, the term 'liberal' still abides fairly closely to its original
intent, which is, in principle, and to quote from the Oxford, "Favourable to
democratic reform and individual liberty, (moderately) progressive." In
political practice in Canada, it combines an economic conservatism based on
low-inflationary fiscal policy with an increasingly 'tough-love' social
compassion where possible, despite the best efforts of the Republican-manque
Reform Party of Canada to hijack its meaning and convert it into a demeaning
label it could then apply to anything which does not fit a hang-'em-high
hard-right agenda. In the US, the term has been distorted for partisan
purposes to a smear of any policy which does not favor the interests of the
corporate elite. It becomes a stick to beat any dog which does not obey what
the great and rich want. Too bad, in many ways, the very best that your
great country can offer the world is the direct result of its liberalism.
The stirring words and immortal concepts in your country's Constitution were
not written by hard-right conservatives, I'll wager: there's too much
compassion, humanity and hope in them.

>I'd do that, but I wouldn't want to be considered
>xenophobic.

Gee, Fred, I'd say that a welcome in a backyard in Canada beats a sweatshop
in a gang-infested neighborhood and no medical coverage any day. I'd say
that, but I wouldn't want be considered anti-American. '-)

Michael Price We aren't flying...we're falling with style!
Vancouver BC Canada -Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story
mprice at mindlink.net