For Dissent and discussion:

[Reduaram]

Greetings Everyone:
Your neighbors up here in Canada are acutely aware of the severe crisis unfolding in the South and our hearts are with you. I can't watch the TV anymore because the news stations are starting to run out of real stuff to talk about so now it's time for them to wander into hyperbole.
As a bit of a diversion I would like to introduce this minor predicament that the people of Ottawa, Ontario (Canada's capital city) are facing in the light of the tragedy in the American South. The two rock radio stations out there have opted to ban a very popular song from the airwaves by a very popular Canadian band that many of you might have heard of, The Tragically Hip. The song is titled "New Orleans is Sinking" and was released in 1989.
Personally, I never really felt too strongly about the tune one way or another - pretty middle-of -the road. I just don't understand what the wisdom is behind arbitrarily banning it just like that. It really seems like more of an insult than anything else. Instead, how about getting some of the necessities of life to people in their darkest hour instead of being politically (fascist) correct? Maybe I'm just a callous bastard, I don't know. Here's the lyrics, or the link where you can read them http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/tragicallyhip/neworleansissinking.html (in case there are legal issues with reprinting them here). Other people's opinions on this issue would be of great interest to me.

Bourbon blues on the street, loose and complete
Under skies all smokey blue-green
I can't forsake a dixie dead-shake
So we danced the sidewalk clean
My memory is muddy, what's this river that I'm in?
New Orleans is sinking man and I don't wanna swim

Colonel Tom, What's wrong? What's going on?
You can't tie yourself up for a deal
He said, "Hey north you're south shut your big mouth,
You gotta do what you feel is real"
Ain't got no picture postcards, ain't got no souvenirs
My baby, she don't know me when I'm thinking bout those years

Pale as a light bulb hanging on a wire
Sucking up to someone just to stoke the fire
Picking out the highlights of the scenery
Saw a little cloud that looked a little like me

I had my hands in the river
My feet back up on the banks
Looked up to the lord above
And said, "Hey man thanks"
Sometimes I fell so good, I gotta scream
She said Gordie baby I know exactly what you mean
She said, she said, I swear to god she said...
My memory is muddy what's this river that I'm in?
New Orleans is sinking man and I don't wanna swim

[SergntMac]

As I watch CNN this AM, clearly, the threat to life is not over, and I cannot rationalize the pause in rescue efforts. We need to stay tuned. Nonetheless, though the lyrics seem innocent, the title is suggestive, and the reality sad. No harm, no foul, but someone resurrected an old tune, and why? This is equally sad commentary, and out of deep respect for those still suffering, IMHO, applying the mute switch is appropriate.

[2003 MIB]

I think banning music is silly. It does seem very simple- if you don't want to hear something, change the station or turn it off. It reminds me a bit of all the 9-11 music banning in the States- "Jet Airliner" by The Steve Miller Band was banned for a few months even though it was written 25 years before the tragedy. Silliness.

[Dr Caleb]

Not only is the song 'New Orleans is Sinking' one of my favourite Hip tunes, it's also about a US submarine that sank in the Gulf of Mexico on it's shakedown cruise.

Political correctness will be our undoing.

I don't understand what is happening down south. Canada has offered our hospital ships, DART team (who can be anywhere in the world in 24 hours, making 150,000 litres a day of fresh drinking water out of toxic sludge 24 hours after that) hundreds of trucks loaded with medical supplies, food and water - and no US official will accept our offer of help.

http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1125597613680_121006813?hub=to pstories

In the province I live in, Alberta, there is even talk of using some of our budget surplus (projected at 4 billion) to help out.

[CBT]

I love Canada, Nova Scotia was one of the best ports I've ever partied in, and I've partied all around the world, even in New Orleans.

[RCSignals]

Not only is the song 'New Orleans is Sinking' one of my favourite Hip tunes, it's also about a US submarine that sank in the Gulf of Mexico on it's shakedown cruise.

Political correctness will be our undoing.

I don't understand what is happening down south. Canada has offered our hospital ships, DART team (who can be anywhere in the world in 24 hours, making 150,000 litres a day of fresh drinking water out of toxic sludge 24 hours after that) hundreds of trucks loaded with medical supplies, food and water - and no US official will accept our offer of help.

http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1125597613680_121006813?hub=to pstories

In the province I live in, Alberta, there is even talk of using some of our budget surplus (projected at 4 billion) to help out.


an odd article, mixing offer of aid with discussion of the softwood lumber dispute.

It is also contradictory, saying contact has been madebtween the CDS and his counter part, the PM and President, while claiming there has been no 'formal request for help'.

Perhaps in a situation like this a formal request isn't required. But then just showing up wouldn't be 'politically correct'

Was a formal request needed for aid to the tsunami disaster?

[Dr Caleb]

an odd article, mixing offer of aid with discussion of the softwood lumber dispute.

It is also contradictory, saying contact has been madebtween the CDS and his counter part, the PM and President, while claiming there has been no 'formal request for help'.

Perhaps in a situation like this a formal request isn't required. But then just showing up wouldn't be 'politically correct'

Was a formal request needed for aid to the tsunami disaster?

Odd article indeed. Most any news article right now about Canadian-American relations has some mention of Softwood, as it is a really hot trade topic.

I know Paul Martin has called Mr. Bush, and offered assistance. The HMCS Athabascan, HMCS Ojibiwa (? The other Tribal Class destroyer, Huron is retired) the HMCS Protecteur and HMCS Preserver are being loaded in Halifax for deployment to NA. The Prime Minister has offered these ships, loaded with medical supplies, food and the DART team. But they cannot enter US waters without permission, and President Bush has not accepted the offer.

A formal request isn't needed for the Salvation Army or the Red Cross, but Navy ships do need a formal request. That's called 'an invasion' :) I doubt the US Navy would care if two of our hospital ships showed up off the gulf coast, but you know Canadians; we won't go where we aren't expressly invited.

Update:

It's the Athabascan, Ville de Quebec and Toronto, a destroyer and two City class frigates.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/09/02/Canadian_ships_to_louisiana200 50902.html?ref=rss

[RCSignals]

........................
Update:

It's the Athabascan, Ville de Quebec and Toronto, a destroyer and two City class frigates.

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/09/02/Canadian_ships_to_louisiana200 50902.html?ref=rss


They are going. As I knew would happen since no where have I read that assistance was 'refused'.