Thank you for the response, Dr. Pipes (and Daya)...

Submitted by J.S. (Canada), Jul 24, 2006 at 16:38

I guess Sick is stupider than I thought -- but maybe not understanding the nature of causality leads to conspiratorial theorizing. Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner in the Freakonomics noted a study which illustrated a "fundamental confusion of correlation and causality" (p. 122)). The "academic" study called for a moratorium on prison construction so as to cut crime rates. As Levitt and Dubner note: "..the political scientist John J. Dilulio Jr. later commented, 'Apparently, it takes a Ph.D in criminology to doubt that keeping dangerous criminals incarcerated cuts crime.'"

I believe it was Benjamin Netanyahu who noted the propensity for Arab terrorists and their sympathizers to employ the notion of "backwards causality." That is, by turning the arrow of causation around, moral culpability for wrong-doing is reversed. Thus police become the "criminals," while the criminals become the defenders of "justice." Or attackers become "defenders" and defenders become "attackers" (I've heard this refrain from a number of leftist, pro-terrorist reporters in the current campaign directed against Hezbollah.)

As a Canadian citizen, I've also been alarmed to discover that there are 40,000 to 50,000 "Canadians" living in Lebanon. The United States has apporximately 25,000 Lebanese Americans in Lebanon. The U.S. has ten times the population of Canada. If the Canadian immigration policy had been on par with the Americans, we would expect to have 2,500 Lebanese Canadians in Lebanon -- instead, we have up to 50,000 (that's 20 times what could be expected, based on the U.S. figure). Worse, I believe we may now have an indeterminate number of Lebanese Muslims entering Canada who openly support Hezbollah -- a designated terrorist organization since December 2002.

Anyone who thinks Canada does not have an immigration problem is dead wrong. Not only do we have an immigration problem, we have a "citizenship" problem. I don't believe it means anything to claim Canadian citizenship. (I'm not advocating a two-tier system whereby native-born Canadians are given "special status" or immigrants are given second-class status. The problem is with holding multiple citizenships -- you can be a "dual" citizen...or a "triple" citizen...having multiple loyalties, multiple citizenships.) Once you've obtained "citizenship" (reside in Canada for 3 years), you can leave Canada, you don't have to live in Canada, you don't have to work here, you don't have to pay taxes here -- hey, you can be born in a foreign country (spend three years in Canada, get your citizenship), then leave Canada, return to your native land of birth, you real home, run for a political office in your native country, be elected as the President of country X, and still no problem -- you're still a "citizen" of Canada. So, if you get sick, you can return to Canada to get free medical benefits or go on welfare. Just as the terrorist Pakistani family of the Khadrs have done. Their handicapped son (wheel-chair bound, due to fighting the Americans in Afghanistabn) is provided life-time medical treatments, thanks to the fact that said terrorist is a "Canadian" (on paper at least.) I can't think of a more ludicrous, asinine policy.

This is how extremist Muslim Canadians fight the "war on terror" -- go to terrorist training camps in Pakistan or Afghanistan, learn how to kill Americans, kill as many Americans as possible, and, then, if wounded, return to Canada to get free medical treatment (at taxpayers expense.) Oh, and if you're Lebanese Muslim -- it gets better -- it's work for Hezbollah, your "protector", have your Lebanese aparment house used to lob missiles into Israel, murder as many Jews as possible, file a "report" for CNN about the "terrorist" Israelis, then (if the situation gets too hot) scream for the Canadians to come to your rescue -- then, when the Canadians arrive to ship you to Canada (a country you haven't been to in 29 years), after being flown to Canada (again at taxpayers expense), complain bitterly about the "abominable" conditions, express your ingratitude, say "if I had only known how I would be treated, I would only want to be back where the bombs are flying -- Ja!" (there were no mints on the pillow of the luxury liner used to ferry you to Cyprus), condemn your government as pathetic lackeys of the Americans (after all there were no Canadian consular officials to greet you upon your arrival -- the utter audacity!), then, back in Canada, go on welfare (while dealing drugs) and be sure to deposit 30 percent of said proceeds to your local Hezbollah operative. Thus is the "war on terror" fought -- from a Canadian perspective.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".