A letter sent to the Globe and Mail and, oddly, not printed:

John Ibbitson, in an apparent effort to puff up the new president in comparison to George W. Bush ("Obama, Medvedev, start to warm up predecessors' Cold War-like relationship", July 7 [online version here]), makes a couple of basic factual errors.

Mr. Ibbitson first writes that "The United States has deployed missile-defence instillations in Europe, saying they are intended to ward off an Iranian missile attack on its NATO allies."  In fact the missile defence system mentioned, to be based in Poland and the Czech Republic, is still only in the planning stages and there are no "deployed" installations.  The parliaments of the two countries have yet formally to approve the plans, which moreover are now under review by the Obama administration.

Mr. Ibbitson then writes that relations between Russia and the U.S. "...are based on a far firmer and more mature foundation than Mr. Bush's declaration early in his presidency that he had looked into Mr. Putin's eyes and determined he could be trusted.  Treaties and verification regimes are infinitely preferable to soulful exchanges among leaders of great powers." 

Indeed.  One wonders how Mr. Ibbitson could have forgotten the Moscow Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions signed by President Bush and then-President Putin in May 2002, early in Mr. Bush's presidency.  That treaty instituted very major reductions in the strategic nuclear warheads deployed by Russia and the U.S.; any new treaty will be building on President Bush's.

References:
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-06-16-voa56.cfm
http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/scientists-europe-missile-defense-obama-0258.html
http://www.fas.org/nuke/control/sort/fs-sort.html
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=43620
http://www.state.gov/t/vci/rls/rpt/104637.htm

The Inimitable Ibbitson now writes a column on Lance Armstrong that's really all about "Bush! Bush! Bush!" 

...

For some Europeans, especially the French, Lance Armstrong is George Bush on a bike...

Good monomaniacal grief.  And what's with supposed reporters writing opinion pieces?  More "Bush! Bush! Bush!" from another Globeite:

Who's the zombie? Can some Canadians just get real (II)?

Seems like a rain on the Globe's parade kind of day; but what's "Canada's National Newspaper" for anyway, eh?

Mark

Ottawa

Comments (6)

marc in calgary said:

... I think all of the Globe and Mail is opinion, and none of it's news. ... I know, it makes more sense on friday nights. and as for "Canada's National Newspaper" ? I don't get that either. I think they're for... "selling more newspaper" that's about it.

July 08, 2009

Chris said:

... In a brief relapse of common sense, I almost said yes to the annoying suppertime Globe and Mail telemarketer who was practically begging me to take advantage of their reduced subscription offers... then I remembered that I live in Atlantic Canada and that even the "national" edition is so Toronto-centric as be of no interest to me. And even if I was interested in reading the opinion pieces (which I am not) they are too collectivist,leftist and stupidly dogmatic to be of value to any descent free thinking individual. I said no and I could swear I thought I heard him start to cry. Tough shit. The product sucks and I will not buy it.

July 08, 2009

OMMAG said:

... You could just stop reading the rag... even online. Of course if you have the stomach for it ...I'll be gratefull for your efforts and all.

July 08, 2009 | url

Enkidu said:

... Ibbitson is a 'journalist' with the MSM, it's a given that he will never let mere facts get in way of his Bush-bashing opinion.

July 08, 2009

Osumashi Kinyobe said:

... Bush is even president anymore. Obama is, and he has no ruddy idea how to deal with an octopus like Russia.

July 08, 2009 | url

Krazy said:

... No one knows how to deal with the Russians - except the Russians!

July 09, 2009

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