Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've been following these goings-on for a while now. The condensed version is that Canada has a contract to sell Saudi Arabia lots of armored vehicles. Saudi has (most probably) been using them against people that they're not supposed to be using them against (Yemen). This has upset many in Canada and they want the contract canceled.
Problem is, unilaterally canceling this deal would cost Canada $billions in penalties, potentially up to $14 billion. Plus all the job losses in the factory that builds them - in a very distressed labor environment (Covid-19, etc.)
Apparently, the green light has been given to continue with deliveries of these vehicles. It appears that the one-two punch of massive monetary penalties plus job losses has trumped the human rights/morality issue (barring further legal challenges, of course).
Would this seem to be par for the course - economic realities generally override human rights considerations?
I've been following these goings-on for a while now. The condensed version is that Canada has a contract to sell Saudi Arabia lots of armored vehicles. Saudi has (most probably) been using them against people that they're not supposed to be using them against (Yemen). This has upset many in Canada and they want the contract canceled.
Problem is, unilaterally canceling this deal would cost Canada $billions in penalties, potentially up to $14 billion. Plus all the job losses in the factory that builds them - in a very distressed labor environment (Covid-19, etc.)
Apparently, the green light has been given to continue with deliveries of these vehicles. It appears that the one-two punch of massive monetary penalties plus job losses has trumped the human rights/morality issue (barring further legal challenges, of course).
Would this seem to be par for the course - economic realities generally override human rights considerations?
Yes. Depending on who you ask, you violate an animal's rights by consuming it, because you need to eat to live. A lot of people empathize with the animal, but still they eat it because food is necessary to sustain life. You treat humans about the same, if push comes to shove, and big money or your own life or even your livelihood is on the line. All I know is, you can keep a lot of people well fed with 14 billion dollars.
From a CBC interview with a Canadian law professor:
Q: "We also, though, as you know, are in the middle of not just a health crisis, but an economic one. With penalties of up to $14 billion for canceling the contract, jobs lost from not making those LAVS, can this government afford to do otherwise, financially or politically?"
A: "The current government of Canada should just decide not to pay those penalties. And it would be for Saudi Arabia to try to get Canada to pay those penalties."
I know exactly zero about government-to-government contracts, but if Canada simply stopped delivering these vehicles and refused to pay the contractual penalties, what would or could Saudi Arabia do about it?
From a CBC interview with a Canadian law professor:
Q: "We also, though, as you know, are in the middle of not just a health crisis, but an economic one. With penalties of up to $14 billion for canceling the contract, jobs lost from not making those LAVS, can this government afford to do otherwise, financially or politically?"
A: "The current government of Canada should just decide not to pay those penalties. And it would be for Saudi Arabia to try to get Canada to pay those penalties."
I know exactly zero about government-to-government contracts, but if Canada simply stopped delivering these vehicles and refused to pay the contractual penalties, what would or could Saudi Arabia do about it?
Perhaps go to the world court or make it well known that Canada is not a country that will honour it's contractual commitments?
Reality is; a country with the economy of scale of say California; remaining on a high horse might require us to all ride Shetland ponies.
If Canada or US doesn't sell weapon to Saudi, then China or Russia will. Maybe Russia or China will even control oil export in Saudi on top of weapon sells.
If Canada or US doesn't sell weapon to Saudi, then China or Russia will. Maybe Russia or China will even control oil export in Saudi on top of weapon sells.
If Canada or US doesn't sell weapon to Saudi, then China or Russia will. Maybe Russia or China will even control oil export in Saudi on top of weapon sells.
Welcome to reality.
That is like saying if the US does not sell the Zyklon B to the Nazis, then someone else will.
If so-and-so does not supply the gun to the school shooter, then someone else will.
All for supplying advanced AA weapons to Iran? because someone else will.
Hey, we should have sold weapons to N. Vietnam, because someone else was, we should have taken that market, who cares if we were at war with them. How about supply NK with weapons? I mean why let China and Russia have that market?
That is like saying if the US does not sell the Zyklon B to the Nazis, then someone else will.
If so-and-so does not supply the gun to the school shooter, then someone else will.
All for supplying advanced AA weapons to Iran? because someone else will.
Hey, we should have sold weapons to N. Vietnam, because someone else was, we should have taken that market, who cares if we were at war with them. How about supply NK with weapons? I mean why let China and Russia have that market?
Prove me what i said is wrong.
In addition to weapon and oil deals, Saudi is one of United States' trusted allies in the Middle East.
There is a reason why US/Saudi relationship has been around since 1951....even after one of Saudi's citizens by the name of Bin Laden murdered 3000 Americans.
Who said you are wrong? I stated that selling weapons to a murderous, ruthless, dictatorship for the reason of "well if we don't, someone else will", is no different than giving a gun to a school shooter because "hey, if I do not do it, someone else will".
Them being an "ally" is a joke. Of course they are an ally, the US loves its dictatorships and human rights abusers, yet goes and freaks out if say Russia has an anti-gay law "lord have mercy! them Russians got such a human rights abusing law against gays!"
Such f**king hypocrites, and that is my real issue with the whole thing. Please USA, you look like a damn idiot crying about human rights abuses and democracy, lack of, in countries, yet fully support one of the worse countries in the world in those areas.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
