# Canada's Official Position on Iraq **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 19, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417 "2003-03-19T01:05:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/1 "2003-03-19T01:05:44Z")
“If my grandmother was born with wheels, she might have been a bus.” Prime Minister Jean Cretien ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/2 "2003-03-19T01:12:29Z")
That’s unusually coherent for him. Are you sure the reporters didn’t fudge it a little bit? ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/3 "2003-03-19T01:19:37Z")
_nods knowingly_ ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/4 "2003-03-19T01:20:25Z")
I think he misquoted Scottie. Whatever the case, the meaning of that sentence eludes me in this context.😕 ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/5 "2003-03-19T01:24:12Z")
Heck, even a bus stops once in a while. Jean is the bus in a movie like _Speed_, just keeps crossing from side to side. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/6 "2003-03-19T01:38:03Z")
A fuller quote might make it a bit clearer: > [@](#): > > You have two ifs in a row in your question. If my grandmother had wheels, she might have been a bus. I’m not voting. So don’t ask me the way I will vote. > We’ll make that call that day … The Canadian position was established the first day. We said if there is a resolution of the UN, we will be there … I said that the first day so it’s still the same position. We have not deviated from that position. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/7 "2003-03-19T01:45:54Z")
Country, family, busses. Such eloquence brings a patriotic tear to my eye. ---
**Author:** ![CritcalMass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@CritcalMass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CritcalMass)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/8 "2003-03-19T02:00:45Z")
I’m usually the first one to cringe or laugh at the pm’s articulately challenged ways but on this issue I salute Jean and the his governing liberals. Keep Canadian soldiers out of Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/9 "2003-03-19T02:11:28Z")
It was announced today that Canada is now prepared to help the United States in its war against terrorism. They have promised to commit 2 of their largest battleships, 6,000 armed troops and 60 fighter jets. However…after the exchange rate, that comes down to a canoe, 2 Mounties and a flying squirrel. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/10 "2003-03-19T03:26:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FairyChatMom \* > \*\*However…after the exchange rate, that comes down to a canoe, 2 Mounties and a flying squirrel. \*\* And 4 dead sons and brothers in Afghanistan from one of our pilots. Have a little respect for the dead. ---
**Author:** ![Cyrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Cyrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrin)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/11 "2003-03-19T03:35:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FranticMad \* > \*\*And 4 dead sons and brothers in Afghanistan from one of our pilots. Have a little respect for the dead. \*\* ☹ For some reason, I wept for the first time over this incident when I read this post. I guess some things take their time before they hit you… ---
**Author:** ![ultress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/12 "2003-03-19T03:39:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FranticMad \* > \*\*And 4 dead sons and brothers in Afghanistan from one of our pilots. Have a little respect for the dead. \*\* And that point has what to do with the topic of this thread? We have vast respect for the dead. So what’s that have to do with Iraq and your totally uncalled for snide remark? ---
**Author:** ![ProjectOmega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@ProjectOmega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProjectOmega)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/13 "2003-03-19T03:44:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ultress \* > \*\* So what’s that have to do with Iraq and your totally uncalled for snide remark? \*\* It was a snide remark in retaliation for the snide remark about our military. We have soldiers that fight and die just the same as any country’s, so I can sympathize when my fellow Canadians start to get sick of the “OLOLOLO!! ~~CANADA MILITARY!!@~~ SLINGSHOTS AND MOOSESES~!!~@#” remarks. ---
**Author:** ![ultress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/14 "2003-03-19T03:47:34Z")
Seems it is your fellow countrymen that are making the majority of snide remarks. ---
**Author:** ![Cyrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Cyrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyrin)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/15 "2003-03-19T03:53:16Z")
That doesn’t make us any less sick of the remarks… I don’t care who says it, Americans or my neighbour, it’s getting fairly upsetting. ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/16 "2003-03-19T03:53:56Z")
I didn’t take it as a snide remark about the Canadian military, I took it as a shot at one of Canada’s closest allies that many view as bullying other countries into helping them, and using the commonly joked about (and exaggerated) exchange rate between the two countries as part of the shot. In other words, it was sarcastic. Canada sez: “We’ll help you unfairly invade another country…NOT!” So just take a deep breath. ---
**Author:** ![ultress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/17 "2003-03-19T03:57:58Z")
I can very much relate to that, we Americans are getting fairly sick and tired of the many remarks made about us also. But this was a light-hearted thread started with the opposite intent of the hijack that has happened. Best thing to do is start your own thread and let the OP enjoy this thread they created. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/18 "2003-03-19T04:06:29Z")
Lessee: **FairyChatMom** , I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. In itself, the joke’s actually kind of funny. Foot in mouth disease is not permanent, and I don’t think anybody thinks you had a deeper meaning behind what you said. **FranticMad** , thanks for remembering that, and I do appreciate the sentiment (I’ve done this myself on more than one occasion), but I think you leapt a bit of a gap there in going from the joke to the events in Afghanistan. **ultress** , there is a considerable difference between making fun of our leader for his various shortcomings and what could be seen as an attack on the people who are actually out there where the bullets are flying. I don’t think it was such, but if it was interpreted that way then the vitriol will start to flow. So, are we staying here or shall we head to the pit? ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/19 "2003-03-19T04:15:21Z")
Wasn’t the canoe joke from SNL originally? ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417/20 "2003-03-19T04:22:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wearia \* > \*\*Wasn’t the canoe joke from SNL originally? \*\* I’ve been trying to remember the original joke too. A quick google search make reference to it, but not the original source – I vaguely recall it was from a stand-up routine. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-official-position-on-iraq/162417.md?page=2)