Canada's Minister of Perpetual Indignation delivers stern scolding to Erdogan

The wily Erdogan, Turkish PM cum Pres, has been warned. While it may be tempting to dismiss the ever-condemnatory Baird as a lightweight on the world stage, it is a well known fact that the Canadians relentlessly talk above their weight.

The comments by Erdogan re: gender equality presumably drew the wrath of FM Baird because, as hundreds of DFA press releases bear witness, Canada is busier than busy saving women and girls all over the world, except of course on Canadian Indian reservations, but that's another story.

And Baird is obviously serious. Check this out;

“Canada notes with great concern the comments reportedly made today by Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in which he appeared to call into question equality between women and men.

“Such remarks would run contrary to basic international human rights standards and international laws and conventions, as well as equality rights that are explicitly enshrined in, and protected by, the Turkish constitution.

Wow! Notice how Baird feints with "basic international rights standards," throws a couple of probing jabs with international rights and conventions, and then drives home the knock-out punch, hoisting Erdogan from the petard of his own constitution!

Brilliantly played, Mr. Baird! A truly stellar performance! Hopefully Erdogan will have many a sleepless night pondering the error of his ways.

But here's what I can't figure out; Baird likes to visit his pals in the Saudi royal family a couple of times a year, and NEVER do we hear a hint of opprobrium, a note of concern, or a stern scolding about their beheadings, their anti-queer culture, their anti-female laws, their generally repressive society that makes Turkey look like a hippie paradise... heck, even caveman Erdogan is OK with women driving cars!

As much as I admire Mr. Baird, I find his inconsistency disturbing.

You don't suppose this ten billion dollar defence contract between Canada and Saudi could be the cat that's got his tongue, do you?

Canada joins free-speech bastion China in failing to condemn Egypt journalists' verdict

The Hindustan Times takes China to task for failing to condemn the verdict in the show trial of the three Al Jazeera journalists.

They forgot to mention that Nation of Virtue extraordinaire, Canada, has also been remiss in critiquing this grave violation of journalistic freedom.

But according to Canada's Foreign Minister John Baird, it's not because we don't care about freedom of speech, it's because we're working "behind the scenes" to mend the error of al-Sisi's ways.

So really, Canada is doing more than anyone to sort things out, and this "quiet" approach has a proven track record.

After all, that's how Baird and Harper got their best bud Netanyahu to shut down his illegal settlement-building enterprise.

Canada leads world in hypocrisy

The ever-blustery bullshitter John Baird came out with another whopper today;

Canada cannot sit idly by while Russia illegally occupies Ukraine.

That's funny; Canada has had no trouble whatsoever sitting idly by while Israel has illegally occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967.

Nor has Canada had the slightest qualms about illegally occupying native lands in Canada since well before the official formation of Canada in 1867.

Foreign Minister John Baird re-invents Canadian history

John Baird's Department of Foreign Affairs has a press release on its website today that includes this whopper;

"One of Canada’s oldest and most basic values is supporting a sovereign state’s territorial integrity,” said Baird.

Oh really?

Didn't Canada just take leave of a NATO mission in Afghanistan that had everything to do with propping up a NATO-installed stooge and nothing to do with that sovereign state's integrity?

And where was Canada when our bestest besties in the whole world were egregiously violating the territorial integrity of Lebanon in 2006?

Where were the protests from the Canadian government when the other best friends were laying waste to the territorial integrity of Iraq?

And wasn't Baird himself photographed autographing a bomb to be delivered by Canadian jets to Libya in the egregious violation of that sovereign state's territorial integrity in 2011?

But suddenly "supporting a sovereign state's territorial integrity" is a cherished Canadian value of long standing?

I think what he meant to say was "we're a bunch of dumbshits who get our talking points from Washington and Tel Aviv. Apart from that, we don't really stand for much of anything, but if a few of of our mining conglomerates or oil companies can make a buck, we're in!"

John Baird laments his lack of influence on the world stage

Rule number one in "wielding influence" is that you need to have some before you can wield it.

Baird is baffled by his failure to quash a Russian law that is a step backwards for gay rights in Russia, and came out with the kind of bombastic attack he has become famous for.

According to Baird, he or his department held no less than eight meetings with their Russian counterparts since January trying to derail the proposed law, to no avail.

In the course of holding all those meetings, Baird found time to visit some of Canada's staunchest allies in the Gulf region. There is no record of Baird having used his influence to sway the anti-democratic leaders he visited in Bahrain, Qatar, or UAE away from the draconian anti-gay legislation in place in those countries, nor did he make any statements "blasting" our allies for their short-comings in the area of human rights.

The Russians may have gotten the impression they were dealing with a buffoon and a hypocrite.

Ottawa gets tough on wily Towellers in Eritrea, not so tough on Washington

We recently told you about the Harper gang giving the Government of Eritrea an ultimatum; back off on collecting your two percent income tax on Eritreans living in Canada, or else!

Or else what?

Or else we'll kick your black-skinned Islamic consul the hell out of Canada, that's what!

Well, they must have thought the Canadians were joking. They must have forgotten that we punch above our weight, and even when we're not punching above our weight we never stop talking about it, and just to prove how tough we are, today John Baird made it official; that Eritrean consul IS OUTTA HERE!!!

That's right; no foreigners residing in Canada will be coherced into paying tax anywhere but Canada!

Oh... with one exception.

The Harper gang doesn't mind playing hardball with an impoverished nation of dark people in Africa, but will continue to allow Uncle Sam to run roughshod over the rights of Americans who happen to live here.

It's called "hypocrisy," and it's something the Harper gang does even better than "punching above our weight."