President Bush's visit to Ottawa and Halifax was a diplomatic triumph.* President Bush's visit to Ottawa and Halifax was a diplomatic triumph. Canada's small but vociferous anti-American minority conspicuously failed to turn out for protests--and Canada's new prime minister, Paul Martin, has been busily signaling that on issues from Iraq to missile defense Missile defence is an air defence system, weapon program, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception and destruction of attacking missiles. Originally conceived as a defence against nuclear-armed ICBMs, its application has broadened to include shorter-ranged , Canada is ready to rejoin re·join 1 v. re·joined, re·join·ing, re·joins v.tr. To say in reply, especially in sharp response to a reply. v.intr. To reply. the Western alliance: "We are in a war against terrorism, and we are in it together: Americans and Canadians." Etc. Since the visit, Martin has been even more encouraging. Some of Bush's critics have endorsed the strange conceit conceit, in literature, fanciful or unusual image in which apparently dissimilar things are shown to have a relationship. The Elizabethan poets were fond of Petrarchan conceits, which were conventional comparisons, imitated from the love songs of Petrarch, in which that everything that happens in the world happens because of him. But other countries have motives and purposes too. U.S-Canadian relations have been troubled in recent years because former prime minister Jean Chretien wanted a bad relationship in order to appease ap·pease tr.v. ap·peased, ap·peas·ing, ap·peas·es 1. To bring peace, quiet, or calm to; soothe. 2. To satisfy or relieve: appease one's thirst. 3. left-wing members of his governing Liberal party. Chretien's departure and Bush's reelection re·e·lect also re-e·lect tr.v. re·e·lect·ed, re·e·lect·ing, re·e·lects To elect again. re have transformed that political calculus--and apparently restored one of our oldest and most precious alliances. |
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