Buckdog

You would make this into a bad thing. And God knows that if Harper didn't say anything to Jintao about the imprisonment of Huseyin Celil, you would have been the one saying "Once again, Harper fails to stand up for Canadian citizens for fear of hurting economic interests"... do you agree?

Olaf asked, "you would have been the one saying "Once again, Harper fails to stand up for Canadian citizens for fear of hurting economic interests"... do you agree?"
No I would NOT have said that!

I wish the Chinese would ask the PM of Canada about our Human Rights Record with 1st Nations people in remote regions and in our urban native enclaves. The standard of living and life expectancy of aboriginal people in this country is bloody disgraceful and the world should be on our ass for it!

How pretentious and self righteous of Harper to be lecturing anyone when the vast majority of our jail cells are filled with individuals who are economically deprived and socially cast off.

Tories blame the poor for being poor without any regard for historical and socio-economic realities!

Shame on the bloody Conservatives for their twisted world view!!!!

It's amazing how we are finding out about our Government's foreign affairs actions from the governments of other nations.

We learn of actions with respect to N. Korea from the S. Korea government; the first news about the meeting with Jintao comes from Chinese officials, not our own people. (The PMO issued a brief e-mail some 12 hours after the meeting)

The "bad thing" here is that Harper is being secretive with the Canadian public. What else is this little scuzzball hiding?

(As for the testosterone-laden neo-Dubya styled efforts at "diplomacy", Harper is simply reinforcing the image that he is really modelling himself after the most inept leader on the world stage)

I am pleased to see Mr. Harper's desire to stand up for humna rights with respect to China. I only wish that desire would extend to other human rights violators such as, oh, I don't know, the US.

Buck,

Fair enough, only you know how you would have reacted, however I retain my suspicions that you would have been none-to-pleased if Harper just ignored the Celil case for the sake of economic well being.

And Stephen, can we really put the US and China in the same league when it comes to domestic human rights abuses?

Well Olaf, I've never been to China so I could not say for certain. I have however lived my entire, nearly half-century life in the US and I can say with 100% honesty that our human rights violations are appalling.

No, we don't (usually anyway) drag people out of their homes and torture them (although this is far less unheard of here than most choose to believe), we are much more sophisticated and creative in methods of suppression and oppression.

I've seen way too much with my own two eyes to doubt it.

Sez Olaf:

... if Harper just ignored the Celil case for the sake of economic well being.

Ummm, lessee, looking back through my files, Harper's government IGNORED the Celil case until sometime in August. The CPoC led government only did something after Celil's wife went to the media with her story in early summer - after weeks of inaction on the part of foreign affairs.

(You will also notice that the person making that statement is uber-greaseball Kenney, not the minister for Foreign Affairs)

Oh yes, and Harper's been busy trying to pee on the Chinese since the day he was sworn in. (Not to mention Jason Kenney's little antics when he went to Beijing as part of a trade delegation during Paul Martin's government.)