Ever heard the expression “beggars can’t be choosers?” Well – apparently the Chilean government hasn’t.

Chile asks Canada for “a field hospital, a pontoon bridge, generators and telecommunications equipment”

This is horrible horrible HORRIBLE etiquette. Imagine if your neighbours had their home burn down, and maybe lost a child or the family dog or what. It’s a terrible tragedy – to be sure – not many would deny this. I’m sure that most people would contribute help in some way to the bereaved family, perhaps financial, or perhaps in other ways. But even under these circumstances, it would doubtless be considered a faux-pas if the family then gave specialized lists to each of their neighbours (eg: vinyl siding, cellphones and computers for all family members, and a new central air conditioning system). For a nation’s ambassador to make such a directed and blunt demand, is quite honestly, so absurd as to rival the most narcotic/psychotic inspired works of art.

While I approved of the current Governor General’s (Michaelle Jean) actions regarding the hunting/ingestion of seals, my confidence in her at this time is at an all-time low due to her lobbying to get Canada to contribute the most earthquake aid money to Haiti (by the way: she’s of Haitian descent) of any country (at least initially – see my last post). She has a chance to somewhat redeem herself now by lobbying to tell the Chilean government to go fuck itself until it can learn some manners.