August 02, 2007

• "This isn't the 15th century. You can't go around the world and just plant flags and say 'We're claiming this territory'," said Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay. You sure you don't want to rethink that, Pete?
• It gives me great pleasure to see two countries get into a ridiculous fight without either of them being the USA.
• Ah, but this IS about US interests. There is no way that Uncle Sam would let Russia claim Canada's artic. The US would rather have their much friendlier neighbor to the north have control of the (for now) untapped oil and gas than the Kremlin. If Russia pushed the issue it could get scarry, but quick.
• Two words: Poutine. Bombs.
• And maple scented napalm.
• Putin must a student of the Eddie Izzard School of Geopolitics.
• The US can't do shit against Russia. Not any more. Good on the Russkis. Putin's an evil piece of slime, but I don't believe the Russian people are, at heart, bad. Neither are the Americans, but I would rather have the Russkis in charge of the oil than the Yanks.
• *prepares putin catapult*
• (from Capt.'s link) Canada's primary military presence in the Arctic are the Rangers - more than 4,000 aboriginals who use traditional survival skills, snowmobiles and vintage rifles to patrol all the way to the magnetic North Pole. Seriously? Like, for real? 'Cause that's fucking awesome!
• "aboriginals who use traditional survival skills, snowmobiles and vintage rifles"... So, on the one side we have 4,000 Eskimos and eight boats. On the other side, the entire Russian army. Hmmmm.
• Canada should put a flag down there as well. Two flags. We should all put flags down there. If nothing else it will drive the alien archaeologists mad in 200,000 years trying to work out what the hell we were doing. Or maybe the Canadians should remove the Russian one. Or just announce that it has been removed, so that the Russians have to schlep all the way back out there to check. Then we'll all point at them and laugh.
• I like the cut of your jib.
• Superb idea. I own the Mariana Trench. Go and look, you'll see my flag.
• "We want our white flagpole back." "Uh, sure. Give us a minute, it's in the car." "ZOINKS! It was a BLUE flagpole! HA!"
• I pooped in Argentina. Is that the same as a flag?
• "aboriginals who use traditional survival skills, snowmobiles and vintage rifles"... I first read that as "aboriginals who use traditional survival skills, snowballs, and vintage rifles..." And somehow, that didn't seem wrong.
• Some of my best friends are Poles.
• The thing about the snowmobiles and vintage rifles sounds like one of the less realistic sequences in 'Bad Wisdom' [warning: Amazon reader review contains the word "deconstructs"]
• Something is rotten in Denmark!
• Arctic Warfare Heats Up: Canadians Step In
• The Russians have placed a titanium flag, eh? Well it's time for the Canadians to place an adamantium one.
• The Russians will just escalate.
• Hey, the Canadians have a top-flight plan for that sort of thing.
• North-West Passage is now plain sailing
• Oh crap.
• Arctic Sea Ice Melting Faster Than Expected
• Move along, people. Nothing to sea here. Bush has told us everything is Just. Fine.
• And I'm lost And I'm lost I'm lost at the bottom top of the world I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar I'm lost at the bottom of the world
• And I'm lost And I'm lost I'm lost at the bottom top of the world I'm handcuffed to the Bishop and the barbershop liar I'm lost at the bottom top of the world You're innocent when you post.
• Russia claims arctic seabed has geological continuity with Russia.
• Fight for the Top of the World
• The UK is looking to claim sovereignty over a large area of the remote seabed off Antarctica.
• Hey...this is a TOP of the world thread! Keep your southern hemispheric trash out of it.
• Whatever I pee on, I rule.
• Shouldn't I have said that?
• It's a free country. Go for it.
• Russia plans military force to patrol Arctic as 'cold rush' intensifies
• Russia's Arctic 'sea grab': Russia is expected within months to claim to the United Nations its right to annex about 380,000 square miles of the Arctic.