On division

A nice catch by leftdog, as PMS' apparent plan to divide and conquer the Libs on foreign policy is predictably causing some splits within the Con ranks as well:

Conservative Senator Anne Cools says she is not happy with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's position on the Middle East and plans to speak out about her concerns when the upper house convenes in the fall.

"Suffice it to say, I'm not that happy with the position that has been adopted and I remain very very concerned about the entire Middle Eastern situation," Cools said Thursday in an interview.

"I would have liked to see obviously an immediate ceasefire (without conditions). Canada is not a big power...but I do believe that in that part of the world we need to be even-handed."...

Cools...describes the carnage in the area as unspeakable.

"I belong to that group of people who finds the loss of life, the loss of civilian life, the desolation of Lebanon, the attacks on the Israeli people, I just find it so very troubling," Cools said.

Of course, it says something about Harper and company that the loss of life doesn't seem to bother them in the least. But hopefully more Cons will join Cools in pointing out the need for a policy which recognizes that civilians in both Lebanon and Israel deserve better than to be held hostage by militarism in their midst. After all, there's no better antidote to divisive politicking than for the unnecessary divisions to come back to haunt those who create and exploit them.