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As the author of a Canadian and American political blog, nothing warms my heart quite like a showdown between Fox blowhard Bill O'Reilly and Canada's most respected newspaper, The Globe and Mail:
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"On Friday, O'Reilly took exception to reports that he is an 'ultra-conservative' and that he does not like Canada. In recent days, the outspoken American TV personality has been involved in a running dispute with Toronto's Globe & Mail newspaper..."
"But the biggest bone O'Reilly has to pick involves two U.S. army deserters who are seeking asylum in Canada. He has argued that if Ottawa grants that asylum, the U.S. should boycott Canadian products in protest, a move that he says could cripple the Canadian economy."
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O'Reilly has said these deserters are being "treated like heroes" by the Canadian media -- and has singled out The Globe and Mail. I can tell you, having followed the Canadian media far more thoroughly than Bill O'Reilly, these guys have barely even been mentioned. The O'Reilly/deserters story has gotten far more play than the actual deserters story.
That being said, if these two soldiers are conscientious objectors they should absolutely be granted asylum. The American military has a track record of denying conscientious objector status on a whim, but we take these issues very seriously. Canada has never accepted a combat draft -- even during World War II. We have a proud tradition of accepting those who refuse to fight in America's many wars. If Bill O'Reilly thinks a boycott is going to change all that, he's underestimating his adversary.
After all, this is country that marshalled every force available to the effort in World War II -- without even a combat draft.
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