Jean Chretien rambles away

Jean Chrétien, spewing his trademark braggadocio and incoherence at a gathering of fellow slime-balls today, criticized Stephen Harper for his handling of the China file:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has short-sightedly risked relations with China by failing to attend the Olympic games and going overboard in honouring Tibet’s Dalai Lama, former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said Monday.

Mr. Chrétien said that Canada has to keep in mind that it is too small a global player to hector the Chinese or try to hurt them with boycotts. “It’s 1.3-billion people, and I’m telling you that they are moving fast. You think that Canada is very important in the world? I remember when I was going to China … the press saying: ‘ Mr. Chrétien, you have to tell the president of China to do this and do that.’

“Oh really?” Mr. Chrétien continued. “You want me to the tell the president of a country of 1.3 billion people you should do this and do that, but I don’t dare to say what to do to the premier of Saskatchewan? You have to put things in perspective.”

Well, Jean, while China’s size is important, its systematic abuse of its citizens’ human rights is an issue that shouldn’t be ignored. Also, since you think size matters so much, you might have considered that the shear scale of China’s abuse would make bringing it up all the more important. And comparing this with meddling in the affairs of a Saskatchewan premier (who is not similarly abusing his citizens) is apples and pumpkins.

Speaking to reporters afterward Mr. Chrétien continued his fusillade: “We are at the bottom of the ladder in terms of having any influence with China,”

… were he still prime minister, he “would not have hesitated for a second” to attend an Olympic games that obviously mean so much to Chinese national pride.

So, Canada is “too small a global player” and “at the bottom of the [influence] ladder” yet the his attendance at the Olympics would “mean so much“. You can’t have it both ways, Jean.

He specifically defended his own record as prime minister, saying … “Some people who say I never mentioned human rights – they are completely wrong.”

C’mon, Jean, didn’t you just say: “Oh really?” … “You want me to the tell the president of a country of 1.3 billion people you should do this and do that…“?

Anyway, isn’t it bad form for a former PM to publicly bad-mouth a sitting PM? JC, why don’t you just shut your pie hole!

Just right

I remember talking to a boom operator after Chretien was in Winnipeg as PM about 7 years ago. He complained that no one could understand the guy and he had to follow him and listen to him mumble for hours. He wasn’t happy. Talk about a lousy day at work can you imagine.

It’s also why if you read quotes from Chretien that they always added words that the mental giant was unable to come up with on his own. So the grammar could get this make sense. They will often summarize his writings too. He said,….

If it’s not in quotes it’s probably not really understandable.

I’m glad he had a few parts that were.

“We are at the bottom of the ladder in terms of having any influence with China,”

This has nothing to do with the liberal party of Canada.

I like how Jean says you have to go to China because they are a big country thats rich from a guy who said his entire foreign policy was based on doing the opposite of what the Americans wanted.

Why one is short sighted and the other not I do not know. I like how Chretien claims he mentioned human rights.

Related.

Chretien didn’t attend Lillehammer, Nagano, Sydney and Salt Lake City, yet has the nerve to berates PM Harper for not going to Peking.

International Olympic Comittee, stifling free speech,

CITIC, Norinco, Husky Oil, Grand Adex Properties Inc, Merrill Lynch, Gordon Capital, Inc, Tai Foong International, CIBC, Ramada Hotels, China Vision and Semi-Tech Corporation, etc.
Reuters