Perhaps Fadden is Desperate to Force Compromised Political Parties to Change

EFL is no great uncritical fan of CSIS, unlike many. But perhaps when the CSIS Director, whom one assumes is a rational and mostly serious man (though often wrongheaded), says such a thing, it's because he is very very worried that ALL political parties, given their need to cultivate politically sensitive communities, are unwilling to come to grips, seriously, with the problem and the threat posed. It is quite remarkable that political leaders from every possible part of the spectrum have leapt to his attack and denounced the apparently unfair implications. Is it wrong to note, as Fowler did, differently, as Fadden did, that an awful lot of very motivated and influential people seem to often place other countries' national interests above those of Canada? Fadden noted that China was not the only problem, that some Middle Eastern countries were problems too. Perhaps some Canadians have heard of Jonathan Pollard? And he was and is not alone, nor are others from neighbouring countries, etc.. And this is not a problem limited to two regions of the world. Indeed, one recurring theme of Canadian history is a certain significant minority of Canadians seeming to place the UK/French/American national interests above that of Canada, as Harper did quite explicitly and unprecedentedly in opposition.

So perhaps, just perhaps, Fadden's behaviour, seemingly bad and wrong, wasn't as irrational and stupid as it seems to many. Perhaps he expected the repercussions. But perhaps he takes his job seriously, is a patriot, and thought that it was a worthwhile risk, given the seriousness of the situation. I am sure the Canada China Business Council types, and the Canada Israel Committee types, and the Canada-Jordan types, and the Canadian American Business Council types, and others, dislike investigations into their use as witting or unwitting tools of foreign governments, as do their likeminded supporters. But it is odd, isn't it, that dual citizenship with France was such a generally accepted topic for debate when it was a question of the GG or Leader of the Official Opposition, but when other countries are touched, all parties react so sharply. Almost as if this is a discussion they want to shut down asap, and discourage, even preclude, any further such investigation. And why if you were the guy in charge of such investigations, a proud Canadian playing things straight, you may feel something has to be done to change a pattern of general, perhaps unthinking, collusion to shut down investigation and debate about foreign influences. Everyone's happy to pick on the Tamils, or Arabs, or Jews for some, but Indians? Chinese? Americans? These are not things the Canadians political class wants to talk about, or have talked about. I wonder why.