Canada used to be called the “peaceable kingdom,” once renowned for its dedication to the rule of law and political moderation. The rise of what some pundits have dubbed Mohawkistan is changing all that. Members of the Mohawk 1st Nation at the Akwesasne reservation are currently blocking the opening of the Cornwall Island border crossing with upper New York State. This Ontario crossing has been closed since May because the Mohawks oppose the arming of Canada’s border guards with handguns to protect themselves while on the island. After these guards abandoned their posts under duress back in May, several Mohawks—known as members of the notorious Warrior Society—encircled the guard post and lit bonfires around it. This grotesque violation of the laws of the land happened because these Mohawks had previously threatened the lives of the guards while the federal government of Canada, which is supposed to keep the borders secure, did nothing to protect their lives or the integrity of the crossing. Even America’s longstanding worries over Canada’s border security have not prompted the federal or provincial governments to take action against these criminal gangs.
Although leftists have been stupidly tempted to portray these Mohawks as brave and noble defenders of their ancestral lands against an oppressive and rapaciously “capitalist” Canadian state, the real issue is control and flow of the contraband that comes across this border crossing every day. The immensely profitable trade in guns, cigarettes, and other illegal goods would be disrupted if border guards had the firepower to protect themselves while they maintain the border crossing.
The power of the smuggling trade on the Akwesasne reserve is so great that the Mohawks’ own reserve police are afraid to clamp down on the perpetrators. Worst of all, the Canadian government refuses to enforce the law against these criminals, and even prohibits police and military helicopters from flying over the reservation lest they be shot down by shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles!
All this is happening while Canada’s soldiers fight jihadists in Afghanistan. The appalling irony of fighting a war against Moslem terrorists several thousand miles away while surrendering to gangster elements at home may be lost on the Canadian political class, but it is bitterly understood by the beleaguered citizens who suffer the misfortune of living in this Mohawkistani state of nature.
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Mohawkistan!
Canada used to be called the “peaceable kingdom,” once renowned for its dedication to the rule of law and political moderation. The rise of what some pundits have dubbed Mohawkistan is … [Read More]
Posted by Grant Havers on July 11, 2009
The Usual Suspects