Oh Conrad, Oh Canada

Re: An Astonishing Country, Conrad Black, June 27.

I began reading Conrad Blacks article with the usual expectation of getting the
big picture on some aspect of history and he did deliver, as usual. However, I
found four things to be disappointing:
1. he reacts to statements by Bernie Farber concerning Canadas treatment of
aboriginals (and his criticism of Black) with personal ridicule. Certainly a writer
of Conrad Blacks stature can deal with someone with whom he disagrees in more
sophisticated ways than saying, I have been defamed by more substantial
figures and, No great weight attaches to the frothings of Bernie Farber;
2. after expressing his anger at those, such as Farber, who compare Canadas
treatment of aboriginals to the Nazi Holocaust, he hypocritically follows with his
own absurd comparison: The massacre inventors are just as odious as the
Holocaust deniers;
3. his claim that he does not believe any one has ever or could question my
credentials as a philosemite had no relevance to his argument and while I can
believe him, it still sounds too much like some of my best friends are Jews; and
4. while reading Blacks powerful defence and praise of Canada, I could not help but
wonder how his desire to be a British baron was so strong that he was willing to
renounce his citizenship of this astonishing country.
Asher Sadeh, Richmond Hill, Ont.