Two things.
First, bravo to Canada for standing up for human rights. Perhaps, due to the encroaching tide of nativist hate from starboard, we will have to stand alone. But I am for standing.
On the other hand, Chrystia Freeland did this by tweet? I have a significant amount of respect for Minister Freeland and expect more from here than handling manners in this way. The world is suffering from one person in a position of authority who tweets about important business. That is one too many.
Release a statement to the press. Hold a press conference. There are many better ways to let the KSA know of our disapproval. Don't give them the ammunition by using Twitter. Use established diplomatic protocols for publizing our views. We look the better for it. And the Saudi's still would not be able to mount a response that passes the blsuh test.
In the final analysis, props to Canada for calling the KSA out, brickbats to the craven "leaders" in the USA, UK and elsewhere. Who cares about the Saudi's? The KSA is beneath contempt.Recommend this Post
Saturday, August 11, 2018
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6 comments:
For better or worse, ( worse), more people get their "news" from social media sites than newspapers, tv and cable combined.
One effect of this is "immediacy". Once a news story breaks, large numbers of people follow the "hot takes" and "breaking", unfortunately, a lot of it's "wrong".
So, in an event like this, the Government has to respond everywhere, so Twitter, FB, Press Release, Press Conference, Diplomatic notes,
otherwise, the Saudi Point of View dominates social media.
Very good point. Thanks for posting. Perhaps she should have sent out a tweet contemporaneously with her press statement. If I missed that then she followed, imho, the right path.
What's the difference between a tweet and a press release? Tweets are read by more people.
The Saudi attacks all came via Twitter, so Twitter responses were both the Ambassador's and Freelands first response, simply restating Canada's commitment to universal human rights.
What makes you think that we stand alone. Sweden and Germany have gone through similar strife with the House of Saud. Sweden responded by banning weapon exports to the Saudis. Germany did the same, banning weapon exports to nations waging war on Yemen (i.e. the Saudis). We, by contrast, will continue to buy Saudi oil and will continue to produce and export armoured vehicles that the Saudis will continue to use to suppress pro-democracy dissidents and to oppress their country's Shiite minority.
We make noise but actions always speak louder than words.
Was there a Saudi provocation using twitter prior to the "very alarmed" and "gravely concerned" messages that were generated by the Canadian sources on 3 Aug?
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