Blame Canada

The increasingly isolated President is under siege from allsides. From the right, Republican senators are jumping off hisIraqi bandwagon faster than Leo DiCaprio on the Titanic. From theleft, Democrats are trying to peer past his stonewall ofexecutive privilege.

Abroad, he faces an imploding Middle East. From the Far East,China’s economic rise is challenging American political hegemony.He can’t build a wall fast or tall enough to stop immigrationfrom the south. And from the north, there has arisen an assertiveand aggressive–wait for this–Canada.

Yes, Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper ordered six naval ships to defend the melting Northwest Passage from the UnitedStates, which claims the Arctic is international territory. Yousee, as global warming melts the icecaps it is revealing anattractive shipping route and unexplored resources, like fish,minerals, and yes oil.

"Canada has a choice when it comes to defending our sovereigntyover the Arctic," Harper says. "We either use it or lose it. Andmake no mistake, this government intends to use it."

And thus we have the prospect of a South Park parody come to life. Prepare your anti-war protest posters now: "No CanadianBlood For Oil, eh."