America, f**k no.

Well, he didn't exactly put it that way, but Paul Martin and the Liberals are still trying to find new and amusing ways of pissing off our superpower neighbors to the south.

He said Canada will be an equal partner with the United States in defending North America, but not at any price.

"The foreign policy I envisage is certainly part of NATO, part of the great Western alliance," he said. "But let there be no doubt: We are not going to be out there as the handmaiden of any country."

Catchy turn of phrase, but I don't think the US was under any illusion that we aare their bitch. What Martin tends to forget (especially facing an election) is that we are not equal partners. We do not have the money, the sheer numbers, the equipment or the gumption to defend North America on equal footing with the States. They are bigger and stronger than us, and equality with them is a pipe dream.

But Paul, can't you at least try to be nice to them?

On the upside, he has noticed that we're throwing away money that we don't have.

The International Policy Statement was supposed to have been ready in the fall of 2004, but Martin asked that it be re-written several times [...and only brought out in the event he needed it to defend his position as Prime Minister... - RG] to deliver on his promise to redefine Canada's role in the world by:

- Reshaping relations between Canada and the United States [As evidenced in the above "handmaiden" statement - RG].
- Improving business ties with emerging economic powerhouses such as China [commies - RG] and India.
- Targeting foreign aid at a smaller number of countries, whittling the list down to 25 from the current 155.

So the whittling of foreign aid I see as a good thing. Charity begins at home, and we can hardly pay our own bills, let alone anyone else's.

Another concern, however, is if Martin's government actually plans on delivering any of these changes.

Bruce Campbell [Apparently not of Evil Dead fame - RG], the executive director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, was among the skeptics.

"It would be naive to think that it wasn't in some way connected to diverting attention away from the political turmoil, scandal and so forth," he said.