Editorial cartoon: Conrad Black

[StephenL]

Given the current uproar over the Grand Poohbahs' return to Canada, I thought this was a good one.


cartoon.jpg

[red_langford]

I have yet to hear anybody in support of his Lordships return. Send him to GB, we don't want him here.

[J. Vibert]

meh.......

[billh]

I have yet to hear anybody in support of his Lordships return. Send him to GB, we don't want him here.

I agree. I can't imagine the Americans welcoming somebody back with open arms after they renounced their American citizenship to be some dork lord. Is Cdn citizenship something that you can take or leave however it suits your purpose? Perhaps yes, given all the people like the Hong Kongers who took out Cdn citizenship "just in case the takeover by China goes wrong" and then moved back to HK to see how it goes.

Unfortunately, it appears that in the Ottawa area at least, the opinion is not totally one-sided. An informal CTV Ottawa news pole shows 61% for keeping him out and 39% for letting him back in.

billh

[Ryan Shervill]

Two things:

1st: He HAD to renounce his Canadian Citizenship....his family has been here for 5 generations, but he was also offered the lordship. He applied for dual citizenship, but he was maliciously denied by a certain someone who had a bone to pick (Jean Chretien)

2nd: I'm hopefull that his return to Canada will result in him putting his considerable expertise into starting a new company (or more) that will result in jobs for Canadians.

[callee]

Two things:

1st: He HAD to renounce his Canadian Citizenship....his family has been here for 5 generations, but he was also offered the lordship. He applied for dual citizenship, but he was maliciously denied by a certain someone who had a bone to pick (Jean Chretien)

2nd: I'm hopefull that his return to Canada will result in him putting his considerable expertise into starting a new company (or more) that will result in jobs for Canadians.

took the words out of my mouth.

people get stuck on the fact that he renounced his citizenship, as if it was a case where he got up one morning and was all like "man, I just HATE that canada!!! What a useless waste of a nation!! I think I'll renounce them just out of spite!" or something like that!

He was offered a very high British honour, and as a citizen of the common wealth he should have been freely allowed to accept it. Chretien's meddling in that affair was nothing but personal and partisan. Had Black been a liberal party supporter, the PMO would have never been anywhere near that situation. Black's response was, admittedly, a bad one, reminding me a bit of a "fine, I'll take my ball and go!" reaction, so I don't hold Black entirely blameless, but for certain he was baited and provoked by Chretien quite unfairly, and so in the end I won't hold it against black.

The bottom line is this: if you have two people applying for entrance to canada, I want to know in 5 year's time which one will be mooching off of the system, and which one will have started up a company that is now giving jobs to other canadians and enabling them to work and earn a living. I want to let in that second kind, and I'm pretty sure that, whatever else Black is (i.e. a bit pompous) he's definitely the second kind of applicant.

[Rod Sheridan]

He also seems to have a propensity for taking that which isn't his to take, as well as ignoring court orders and video cameras.

The best thing about him coming back is that it will yield some other fodder for the mills aside from Rob Ford......Rod.

[callee]

He also seems to have a propensity for taking that which isn't his to take, as well as ignoring court orders and video cameras.

The best thing about him coming back is that it will yield some other fodder for the mills aside from Rob Ford......Rod.

honestly though, if an american court sent you a letter ordering you, a canadian, in canada, what to do with your canadian papers in your canadian office, really, how much deference would you give that order? I don't deny he was being dishonest, but I'm still a little troubled about someone being prosecuted in america by an american court for something they did in canada that wasn't illegal under canadian laws. If other people didn't love to hate ol' black, I think they'd be more bothered by that too. My personal opinion, some people focus on the fact that he probably did do some shady business and so he probably did deserve some punishment, so they agree with the end, but they agree with that end so much that they don't notice that the means by which that end was reached were really very questionable.

[Bob_Macgregor]

honestly though, if an american court sent you a letter ordering you, a canadian, in canada, what to do with your canadian papers in your canadian office, really, how much deference would you give that order? I don't deny he was being dishonest, but I'm still a little troubled about someone being prosecuted in america by an american court for something they did in canada that wasn't illegal under canadian laws. If other people didn't love to hate ol' black, I think they'd be more bothered by that too. My personal opinion, some people focus on the fact that he probably did do some shady business and so he probably did deserve some punishment, so they agree with the end, but they agree with that end so much that they don't notice that the means by which that end was reached were really very questionable.

When I read this comment, I thought that CB was lucky the US didn't send him to Guantanamo Bay, given their record on due process!

BOB

[Rick Thom]

I feel that CB should be treated as any other person would be, regardless of station in life or wealth... nothing more and nothing less. Isn't this the fundamental underpinning of this 99%/1% movement?
Regardless of all the wrangling and legal arguments and conjecture, the overall situation looks, smells and tastes like ****..... (to quote many famous thinkers) to what I will guess is the majority of Canadians who have followed the to's and fro's of this sordid tale. No question about it that his decision to relinquish his Canadian Citizenship was viewed by very many as a terrible insult. This gap between what is considered moral and ethical seems to have little to do with the law.
Time, space and life in general have a way of adding prospective to the facts and issues of the moment and day, and it's overall importance. I suspect CB's place in history and his legacy will not be what he hoped for or that of a "great Canadian" and perhaps not even that of a great builder in the field of news and media. Knowing that he may be relegated to a very few lines and the source of fodder for a few business case studies when history is written. That may hurt him more than most other punishments that could be devised.

[Greg in Caledon]

I find the whole thing.... unctuous


sorry guys just having fun with ya...I am in Rick's camp....treat him as any other person would be...

[Lost in the Woods]

Now Con-Rupt is trying to undermine the process of his Order of Canada review.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle4403405/

Of course like all convicted criminals, he is innocent and was wrongfully convicted. He's so full of himself.

[johansmyth]

Great cartoon! That's Canada for you!
He is a criminal, he got caught, he did his time. Yeah he has a rich boy ego and is as arrogant as they come but so are most politicians! I don't have to like him but he is no threat and he will definately not be living off of my back financially.
If we are looking at throwing people out of the country then we should target gang members who have nothing to offer the country. There are far worse than Mr. Black as far as I am concerned.

[Lost in the Woods]

WARNING: Thread from a few months back.


The gasbag is his own worst enemy.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle4649024/

He's been also told to butt out of the hearings on his Order of Canada.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle4651536/



A true gasbag!

[dwoody]

Two things:

1st: He HAD to renounce his Canadian Citizenship....his family has been here for 5 generations, but he was also offered the lordship. He applied for dual citizenship, but he was maliciously denied by a certain someone who had a bone to pick (Jean Chretien)

2nd: I'm hopefull that his return to Canada will result in him putting his considerable expertise into starting a new company (or more) that will result in jobs for Canadians.

Okay Ryan name one just one successful company he has run.

[Lost in the Woods]

Two things:

1st: He HAD to renounce his Canadian Citizenship....his family has been here for 5 generations, but he was also offered the lordship. He applied for dual citizenship, but he was maliciously denied by a certain someone who had a bone to pick (Jean Chretien)

They may have in fact not liked one another and it was popular for the media to portray it this way, but the granting of a peerage to Canadians has been basically banned by legislation since 1919, with the exception of a few oddities in the mix. This has been upheld by both Liberal and Conservative governments over the decades.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_titles_debate

Letting him into Canada is all about Mr Harper gettin cozy with the monarchy. He seems to care little about such silly things as legislation and such and likely he'll have Mr Black with a Canadian citizenship before you know it, and allow him to keep his peerage with The House of Lords.

[Lost in the Woods]

The money in the Dominion pension was in a trust, not a joint bank account.

Kevin:

I will assume you are correct about the funds in question being a trust.

Most pensions are held in trusts. That one may not have been, I don't know, but it likely was, but regardless any form of pension will have the same types of provisions that ensure that funds are secure for the benefit of the intended recipients. My use of the word trust was more to emphasize that it was not of a nature such as a joint bank account. The employer is only a contributor and not a beneficiary of the pension plan.

[Rickbird]

I don't think people should be malicious and judgmental. He is welcome in my Canada.

[red_langford]

Oh yeah, create jobs. At 60 something he is not going to do nothing but spend his stolen money and leach off the health care system.

Chretien's involvement in citizenship matters is kind of far fetched don't you think? I suppose it is possible, and likely he didn't like Black but I find it hard to believe the PM is calling up civil servants to tell them how to do their job.

If you chose to renounce your citizenship for the sake of vanity, and yes it was nothing more than vanity, you don't deserve it back when things go awry. Let's not forget he is a convicted felon.

[StephenL]

I'm hopefull that his return to Canada will result in him putting his considerable expertise into starting a new company (or more) that will result in jobs for Canadians

Oh goody, another potential pension plan to raid. Momma needs a new pair of shoes. For once I am actually cheering the US Revenue to get their share.