The city's foreign policy

Editorial

The world spirals in a tumult of impending explosion as the globe's sole remaining military superpower takes aim at a dictatorial tyrant in a battle that has come to represent the force of one civilization against another. America and Iraq hurtle into desperate conflagration, bringing the fate of their respective citizenries – and all the rest of us – with them into the unknown.

Thankfully, calmer heads prevail. In a richly wood-panelled, windowless room in an art deco building on a hill at 12th and Cambie, in the far-off city of Vancouver, comes the message of hope for which the world has been waiting. Vancouver city council has passed a resolution calling for no war with Iraq.

A collective sigh of relief is heard around the world or at least, around the council table. Since the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) came to power in a landslide election last fall, this city has seen international affairs return to the city council agenda.

Of course, our own city council is not alone in taking this stand. The City of Burnaby has joined Vancouver in endorsing the Web site StopWar.ca, dedicated to keeping George W. out of Saddam's backyard.

But why is it a municipal council's business? How many people voted for their council representative based on his or her opinions about pre-emptive first strikes, nuclear disarmament or Iraqi track records? Isn't that why we vote in federal elections? Don't we take foreign affairs into account when we vote for our member of Parliament?

City councillors cannot possibly claim that they have a mandate for these foreign policy interventions; hardly a word was uttered about foreign affairs during what was a particularly verbose election campaign last year.

We all wish for peace. However, while generalized wishes for peace and harmony are charming, they are very often naive in the context of a complex world environment.

Meanwhile, Vancouver has its own battles to fight. Vancouverites want our councillors to battle homelessness, find solutions to drug problems, offer recreation for children, seek justice for the lost women of the Downtown Eastside and provide clean water, safe streets and garbage pick-up. These are the battles city council was elected to fight.

If a city councillor wants to speak up on his or her own behalf, fine. Their constituents can support them or admonish them and boot them out of office next time. But the entire city council speaking on behalf of all Vancouverites in regards to the anti-war campaign? Shame.

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