It has been mentioned that there are between 45 and 50 thousand Canadian citizens in Lebanon. They are now complaining that the Canadian gov't hasn't been moving fast enough to evacuate them. Only about 6,000 of this number are tourists, students or other temporary visitors. The rest are permanent residents of Lebanon. My question is this: should the Canadian taxpayer be asked to foot the bill for people who have chosen to live there and have never really been Canadian residents for longer than was necessary to obtain citizenship and a Canadian passport. The US has announced that any US citizens will be billed 2,000$ for costs if they request evacuation by the US instead of finding their own way out. Should we be doing the same thing? I feel that we should help those who are there on vacation or other temporary basis. But those who choose to make their home there should not expect Canada to pick up the bill because they made a mistake in their choice of where to live. And the reality of it is that the majority of these people will move back to lebanon when hostilities cease. To be quite honest I was stunned when I heard the number and I realize I may be coming off as a real s.o.b. by stating my opinion on this. But I had to get it off my chest.
Evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon...
- Thread starter Techman
- Start date
Same thing here.
I agree 100% with you Techman,but unfortunateley,it will never happen.
Opposition and Lebanese/canadian are putting a ton of pressure on Harper to move tehm out of there as fast as possible.
I agree 100% with you Techman,but unfortunateley,it will never happen.
Opposition and Lebanese/canadian are putting a ton of pressure on Harper to move tehm out of there as fast as possible.
JustBob, did you even read my post?
I said that I was in favor in evacuating those who are there on vacation or other temporary purpose at no charge. What I am against is paying for those who live there permanently and hold dual citizenship. They have chosen to live there and now that there is trouble, big surprise, they want to come back to Canada on the taxpayer's dime.
I said that I was in favor in evacuating those who are there on vacation or other temporary purpose at no charge. What I am against is paying for those who live there permanently and hold dual citizenship. They have chosen to live there and now that there is trouble, big surprise, they want to come back to Canada on the taxpayer's dime.
They are talking about evacuating 2 to 3 thousand people a day and say that it will take about two to three weeks to complete the operation. On news reports they are mentioning 20 to 35 thousand people to be evacuated. That's a hell of a lot of tourists for a country that small. There's not even that many Quebecers on vacation in the Dominican Republic.
The majority of people to be evacuated are permanent residents of Lebanon who will return there as soon as it's possible to do so. Will they expect us to pay their ticket home also?
The majority of people to be evacuated are permanent residents of Lebanon who will return there as soon as it's possible to do so. Will they expect us to pay their ticket home also?
According to these articles, there are indeed a lot of Lebanese-Canadians living and vacationing in Lebanon, though no one seems to know for sure how many of them live there permanently and how many are just visiting. In any case, I don't think the Canadian government can or should try to make a distinction between these two groups. In Canada and other civilized countries, a citizen is a citizen and they all have the same rights. If Canada pays to evacuate some, then it must do so for all of them.
I would add one thought though. If those Lebanese-Canadians trapped there want to direct their anger at the right people, they need to direct it towards Hezbollah and Iran and not the Canadian government or Israel. It is Hezbollah and their supporters along with their Iranian puppet-masters and weapon suppliers who are ultimately responsible for turning Lebanon into a hellhole. My guess is that most Lebanese smart enough to have acquired Canadian citizenship would probably agree with that.
Canadian presence in Lebanon reveals deep ties
The Globe and Mail
7/18/06
TORONTO MONTREAL -- For many Lebanese Canadians, July often means not a trip to the cottage but a transatlantic flight to Beirut to enjoy the city's summer revelry, to reconnect with relatives and lie on a sandy Mediterranean beach.
But their summer holiday has turned into a scene of bloodshed and terror as an estimated 40,000 Canadians are caught in an escalating conflict, and struggling to escape Israeli attacks on Hezbollah bases. Their large presence in Lebanon is a testimony to the enduring ties Lebanese Canadians have kept with their country of origin.
Alain-Michel Ayache, a Middle East analyst of Lebanese origin at the University of Quebec in Montreal, most recently visited Lebanon in 2003. "Everyone was happy at the time, thinking, 'That's it, things are settling down,' " he recalled.
He said there were still concerns at the time because the Hezbollah militia hadn't put down their weapons. But he said no one anticipated this week's cataclysmic events.
"No one expected the whole of Lebanon would pay a price for this. It's the worst-case scenario, one we couldn't even imagine."
In recent years, many entrepreneurs of Lebanese origin have gone back to do business, said Michel Abimikhael, a Tim Hortons franchisee who came to Canada from Beirut in 1987.
In addition, many have taken their children there on vacation. "I want them to learn about their country of origin," said Mr. Abimikhael, a father of two.
Some business people keep summer residences in Lebanon, either renovating their family house or, in areas particularly ravaged by past fighting, building a new one, he said. "It's like people here going to their cottage or to Florida."
According to the 2001 census, almost 144,000 people of Lebanese origin live in Canada, although community leaders say the number is closer to 400,000.
About 60 per cent are of Christian denominations, while most of the rest are Muslim.
In two-thirds of families, at least one member visits Lebanon every summer, said Elias Bejjani, chairman of the Canadian Lebanese Co-ordinating Council. "Those who went for vacation will want to come back. But thousands of Canadians living in Lebanon are residents there with dual citizenship. They will likely stay," he said.
Mr. Ayache noted that Air Canada had 14,000 bookings within a month when it announced direct flights from Montreal to Beirut in 2003.
Evacuation of Canadians could take two weeks
Tue. Jul. 18 2006 6:24 PM ET
CTV.ca
While some 30,000 stranded Canadians have registered with the embassy in Lebanon in hopes of escaping the fighting, the government will only be able to evacuate approximately 2,000 people a day.
CTV's Robert Fife reported Tuesday afternoon that the government has now chartered seven ships to take Canadians out of the country. The government has also enlisted Air Canada to fly Canadians home from Cyprus and Turkey.
The Canadian government will bear the costs of the evacuation, which could take up to two weeks.
While there were initial hopes that 4,500 citizens a day could be evacuated, that number has been downgraded, Fife said...
...An estimated 40,000 to 50,000 people with Canadian citizenship are believed to be in Lebanon, but most of those hold dual citizenship and might be living there permanently.
I would add one thought though. If those Lebanese-Canadians trapped there want to direct their anger at the right people, they need to direct it towards Hezbollah and Iran and not the Canadian government or Israel. It is Hezbollah and their supporters along with their Iranian puppet-masters and weapon suppliers who are ultimately responsible for turning Lebanon into a hellhole. My guess is that most Lebanese smart enough to have acquired Canadian citizenship would probably agree with that.
Canadian presence in Lebanon reveals deep ties
The Globe and Mail
7/18/06
TORONTO MONTREAL -- For many Lebanese Canadians, July often means not a trip to the cottage but a transatlantic flight to Beirut to enjoy the city's summer revelry, to reconnect with relatives and lie on a sandy Mediterranean beach.
But their summer holiday has turned into a scene of bloodshed and terror as an estimated 40,000 Canadians are caught in an escalating conflict, and struggling to escape Israeli attacks on Hezbollah bases. Their large presence in Lebanon is a testimony to the enduring ties Lebanese Canadians have kept with their country of origin.
Alain-Michel Ayache, a Middle East analyst of Lebanese origin at the University of Quebec in Montreal, most recently visited Lebanon in 2003. "Everyone was happy at the time, thinking, 'That's it, things are settling down,' " he recalled.
He said there were still concerns at the time because the Hezbollah militia hadn't put down their weapons. But he said no one anticipated this week's cataclysmic events.
"No one expected the whole of Lebanon would pay a price for this. It's the worst-case scenario, one we couldn't even imagine."
In recent years, many entrepreneurs of Lebanese origin have gone back to do business, said Michel Abimikhael, a Tim Hortons franchisee who came to Canada from Beirut in 1987.
In addition, many have taken their children there on vacation. "I want them to learn about their country of origin," said Mr. Abimikhael, a father of two.
Some business people keep summer residences in Lebanon, either renovating their family house or, in areas particularly ravaged by past fighting, building a new one, he said. "It's like people here going to their cottage or to Florida."
According to the 2001 census, almost 144,000 people of Lebanese origin live in Canada, although community leaders say the number is closer to 400,000.
About 60 per cent are of Christian denominations, while most of the rest are Muslim.
In two-thirds of families, at least one member visits Lebanon every summer, said Elias Bejjani, chairman of the Canadian Lebanese Co-ordinating Council. "Those who went for vacation will want to come back. But thousands of Canadians living in Lebanon are residents there with dual citizenship. They will likely stay," he said.
Mr. Ayache noted that Air Canada had 14,000 bookings within a month when it announced direct flights from Montreal to Beirut in 2003.
Evacuation of Canadians could take two weeks
Tue. Jul. 18 2006 6:24 PM ET
CTV.ca
While some 30,000 stranded Canadians have registered with the embassy in Lebanon in hopes of escaping the fighting, the government will only be able to evacuate approximately 2,000 people a day.
CTV's Robert Fife reported Tuesday afternoon that the government has now chartered seven ships to take Canadians out of the country. The government has also enlisted Air Canada to fly Canadians home from Cyprus and Turkey.
The Canadian government will bear the costs of the evacuation, which could take up to two weeks.
While there were initial hopes that 4,500 citizens a day could be evacuated, that number has been downgraded, Fife said...
...An estimated 40,000 to 50,000 people with Canadian citizenship are believed to be in Lebanon, but most of those hold dual citizenship and might be living there permanently.
Canada is presently acting according to Canadian values, tradition and history.
Blue berets are on the way down there and I don't see anyone here fitting their shoes, or for that matter, berets.
----
Quote:
Originally Posted by admiral
I guess not too many here qualify to wear a blue beret.
Roland:
Admiral, please explain.......
Blue berets are on the way down there and I don't see anyone here fitting their shoes, or for that matter, berets.
----
Quote:
Originally Posted by admiral
I guess not too many here qualify to wear a blue beret.
Roland:
Admiral, please explain.......
Similar threads
