Nuclear Disarmament the Obstacles: the U.S., NATO, Ottawa Roche
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8 EMBASSY Wednesday, October 8, 2008 The Goal: Nuclear Disarmament The Obstacles: The U.S., NATO, Ottawa Roche. That he never became foreign minis- limits—to make the nuclear non-proliferation ter has more to do with his idealism than his treaty his single goal. But the obstacles were political bad luck. formidable. They were: the United States, NATO Roche had a good idea that most every- and the Ottawa bureaucracy, in that order. body else in his political world was afraid to Roche took to heart the meaning of try. His ideals were, and are, unswervingly former U.S. president and general Dwight JIM CRESKEY dedicated to peace, and he knew clearly that Eisenhower when he said: “Every gun that is there was one job he had to do. That job made, every warship launched, every rocket proved tough enough to break anyone who fired, signifies, in a final sense, a theft from emember the Red Tories? There was didn’t have Roche’s faith. those who hunger and are not fed, from John Diefenbaker, Robert Stanfield, Most people, if they had to choose one those who are cold and are not clothed.” Dalton Camp and Joe Clark, to name single, most important goal for Canada’s Like Eisenhower, Roche had learned that a few. foreign policy, might want to offer several wars of the future could not ultimately be R th Clark, Canada’s 16 prime minister, came possibilities. won with arms. So he set out to use Canada’s forward recently to write the introduction to But for Roche, in his roles as former influence to rid the world of the most danger- the newly published memoirs of another, some- Progressive Conservative member of ous product of the arms dealers, the nukes. what lesser known Red Tory, Doug Roche. Parliament, ambassador and senator, the one Roche’s hopes, as everyone knows, are Clark and Roche were not especially close in answer became his life’s work: the abolition far from seeing a sunrise. If anything, Canada their House of Commons days. Roche had sup- of nuclear weapons, pure and simple. and the United States have moved in oppo- ported Claude Wagner in the 1976 leadership bid Roche came to the conclusion that no site directions. But Roche continues. He will against Clark and politics has a long memory. other threat to human security is so critical. go wherever he is asked to go, talk to whom- In his introduction to Roche’s new book, Nuclear weapons have a proven ability to ever will listen. Creative Dissent: A Politician’s Struggle for annihilate entire civilian populations, destabi- If Canada was ever punching above its Peace, Clark diplomatically points out the lize an already fragile environment and create weight to make the world a more peaceful distance that existed between them: “Doug poverty and forced migration after only one place, it was because of people like Roche. and I were not particularly close as par- blow. They are the background doom that How he went about this, and continues to liamentary colleagues.” And that despite runs the risk of being unleashed deliberately this day, makes for a page-turner of an auto- the fact that they were both Progressive or accidentally during any other global crisis. biography for parliamentary insiders and Conservatives elected from Alberta in 1972. And make no mistake about it, this isn’t just peace advocates alike. And it’s a great book But Clark’s introduction to the Roche about Iran and North Korea or some murky for anyone who has ever experienced or con- memoirs is in itself a kind of reconciliation terrorist group. The nuclear problem rests sidered a career in politics or diplomacy. between the two and a glowing tribute to squarely on the shoulders of the nuclear pow- Embassy senior editor Jim Creskey will Roche as one of Canada’s most accomplished, ers, especially the United States and Russia. interview Doug Roche on stage at the National EMBASSY FILE PHOTO experienced and idealistic internationalists. Serving as Canada’s ambassador for dis- Library and Archives on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at Retired parliamentarian Doug Roche continues If ever a man was born to raise Canada’s armament, Roche stretched his diplomatic 7:30 PM. See listings page 18 from more details. to fight against nuclear proliferation, and has best values on the international stage, it was assignment to its limits—some said past its [email protected] written a new autobiography about his efforts. We eliminated our fuel surcharge because we said we would. Book now at westjet.com or 1 800 538 5696. Or call your travel agent. BECAUSE OWNERS CARE.