I am a little annoyed at the cost and concern involved in repatriating as many as 40,000 "Canadians" who are currently in Lebanon. Many of these people are dual citizens who have set up permanent residency in Lebanon, pay taxes there, they may have jobs there. What do we owe them? Is it required of us to repatriate them, or should we not at least charge them for safe transport to Cyprus and let them pay their own plane fare home? After all, they chose to go to the anus of the world, they shouldn't be surprised if they get shat on. Was there a travel advisory on Lebanon prior to this current wave of fighting? Lebanon was until recently an occupied country, and therefore should have had a warning placed on it. If there was a travel advisory from Canada's Foreign Affairs department, then Canadians should have known better than to set up housekeeping there. For example, if I decide to visit Kandahar for Christmas (I was considering it, but Mr. Right talked me out of it), do I really expect to have Foreign Affairs' blessing? Heck no! My life insurance policy wouldn't even be valid (I checked).

Then again, from a humanitarian perspective, I see the point. It wasn't that long ago I was living in the United Kingdom. What if war had broken out there (don't scoff - with the amount of mad mullahs in that place I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet)? Wouldn't I want Canada to help me? Although, I never applied for British citizenship, so I was strictly a citizen of Canada while being a resident of Britain.

Is Lebanon the new Kashechewan? Will people keep returning, expecting our government to rescue them?