Monday, July 24, 2006
Suez revisited
I found this to be a somewhat surprising take on a historical event that many Canadians consider to be a defining moment in our national character (hat tip: realclearpolitics.com).
Suez was our contribution to world events: the so-called birth of peacekeeping. As Andrew Coyne pointed out in a recent appearance on the National's At Issue panel, we cling to 1956 as though it symbolized a new era for us on the international stage.
Well, as the article points out, some people think Suez was a disaster that has threatened the West's oil interests and security ever since.
I'm not enough of an expert to know just how accurate the assessment in the article is. However, I know enough about our own history and character to suggest that so much of what some Canadians tend to cherish as almost holy is hardly worth a mention by the rest of the world.
