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AAAI ENN YE BINH SP Ale vias mie 6 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, August 21, 1990 The Port Perry Star 235 QUEEN STREET - PORT PERRY, ONTARIO PHONE 985-7383 FAX 985-3708 BUSINESS OFFICE Office Manager - Gayle Stapley Accounting - Judy Ashby Billing Department - Louise Hope Retail Sales - Kathy Dudley, Linda Ruhl, Tracy O'Neil EDITORIAL Publisher - J. Peter Hvidsten Editor - John B. McClelland News/Features - Julia Ashton News/Features - Kelly Story © @ Member of the RT -- | | The Port Perry Star is authorized as second dass mail by the Elsewhere $60.00 per year. Single Copy 50¢ Darlene Hlozan Canadian Community Newspaper Association Post Office Department, Ottawa, for cash payment of postage. PRODUCTION ADVERTISING ER phim Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Annabell Harrison Advertising Co-ordinator - Valerie Ellis Published every Toney by the Subscription Rate: InCanada $20.00 per year Trudy Empringham Advertising Sales Representative - Anna Gouldburn Pont Perry Star Co. Lid. Port Perry, Ontario Editorial Comment BLACKMAIL Blackmail, that's all it is. And it's blackmail of the most evil kind, using the lives of thousands of innocent people as poker chips in what is rapidly becoming a nightmare in the Middle East. Saddam Hussein, the Iraq leader who has taken the world to the brink of a very nasty war, is now holding many thou- sands of foreign citizens hostage in Kuwait and Iraq, including some 700 Canadians. Saddam, who in three weeks has become the world's best known nut case, has offered to let them go if the United States clears its forces out of Saudi Arabia and lifts the eco- nomic blockade against Iraq. The Americans, thanks goodness, said no to this offer. If the Americans, or any other free countries start giving in to the blackmail of hostage takers, every two-bit dictator in the world (and there are a few of them) will be pulling the same stunt. Over the weekend, Canada's External Affairs Minister Joe Clark met with Iraq's ambassador to demand the release of 700 Canadians. Naturally, there was no response from the Iraqi minister. Why should there be? He is taking his orders directly from Saddam, who obviously wants to let the world know he means business in this latest escapade in the desert. Are the Canadians and others safe? For the time being. They are being confined to hotel rooms in Kuwait and Bagh- dad. And despite reports that Iraqi soldiers are meting harsh treatment to Egyptians and Kuwaitis, there have been no re- ports this is happening to Americans, Canadians or British subjects. Yet. But make no mistake. As hostilities intensify, the danger for the personal safety of all foreigners in Iraq and Kuwait will increase. Saddam started this foolishness with a blatant attack on' his tiny neighbour Kuwait. Then he moved his forces into posi-- tion against Saudi Arabia, and the Americans responded by rushing troops and material to defend Saudi territory. Saddam, the international terrorist, will not hesitate one second in taking the lives of innocents if he thinks it will be suit his ends. That's what the world is up against in trying to deal with this terrorist. Right now, it's mostly a terrifying war of nerves; a waiting game. In taking the hostages and offering their release if the Americans pull out and lift the blockade, Saddam may have t his hand that the blockade is hurting his-country of 17 million people. And that's all the more reason not to give in to his black- mail. The economic squeeze of Iraq is the best way to skin Saddam, and ho thrown from within by those with a more saner view of the world and the conduct of nations. A military solution to the crisis would play right into Sad- dam's hands. He wants a fight, is prepared to sacrifice his forces, no doubt hoping that one or two of his Arab neighbours would jump in on his side, thus widening the war. However, the Americans, the British, the French and yes, Canada had better be ready to do battle if Saddam starts knocking off the hostages he's holding for ransom. : There is just no way the world can let this gangster get away with committing cold-blooded murder of innocent citi- zens from foreign countries. REGARDING THE. MULTINATIONAL FORCE , GEORGE, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO SEND MY WHOLE CONTINGENT OF MORAWK WARRIORS / EE i that as time goes on, he will be over- Jottings HERE WE GO AGAIN Sunday shopping has been underway for about seven weeks now, there doesn't appear to be any great outcry from the public, and yet politicians are still trying to be "do-gooders". They seem to feel bey are the protectors of a very vulnerable public. Only they can save us from the evils of Sunday shopping. | find it hard to believe, presumably intelli- gent men and women, members of Toronto city council still feel it is necessary to stop what they seem to feel is a flagrant abuse of Sunday shop- ping. Don't we realize how bad it is for us? 'Last week, in their infinite wisdom, the en- tire council (except the Mayor) voted in favour of passing a new bylaw to ban Sunday shopping in the city. How stupid can they be? Do they not realize the Fic has been shopping on Sunday for years? This isn't a new phenomenon And every Sunday, thousands of people go to work. Working Sundays is not a new thing in the hospitality business, in facto- ries, operating convenience stores, garages, garden centres, marinas, etc. So what's all the fuss? | doubt there is one person reading this col- umn that has not frequented a convenience store, gone to a movie, or taken the family to an amusement park on a Sunday. Are these activi- ties less evil than grocery shopping or buying a new shirt on Sunday? Can you imagine the mess Toronto's goin to be in if they pass this new bylaw? First of all, and this is where the trouble starts, they will have to make an enormous list of exceptions to the new bylaw. Great start, eh! with such an impact they'll be wishing they nev- er mentioned the subject. The fate of Sunday shopping in Ontario (in particular Toronto) is a long way from being de- cided. But now the public has had a taste of this priv e, anyone who tries to take it away will in for a real fight. My bet is the public will be the ultimate winners in this ongoing battle. $40 MILLION WASTE? In about a month, we will be going to the polls to vote for a new provincial government. t's not that Ontarians really want that privilege this year, but we are being forced to make a cision by our present leader, 'Super Dave.' Most reports estimate September's elec- tion, who everyone thinks is unnecessary ex- cept 'Super Dave' and his flock, will cost Ontario taxpayers a cool $40 million buckaroos. While the figure $40 million looks harmless enough written this way, David Weedmark of the Kingsville Reporter suggested in a recent column, it looks more realistic in the following expanded form: $40,000,000.00 Mr. Weedmark then goes on to say that "the number appears to be S000000000 BIG that even spread out, as above, its meaning is technically lost." So, in today's popular style, he suggests breaking the number down in terms that the average person could relate to: * If you had $40 million in your pocket, here is some of the things you could buy: 70,546,737 litres of gasoline 80,000,000 copies of this newspaper 1,600,000 cases of beer What makes this crisis so chillingly dangerous to the There is absolutely no way they can pass 2,000 GM Lumina APV's peace of the world is that nobody can predict what Saddam | an umbrella bylaw which would legisiate Closare 8.000 Rolex watches might do next. He doesn't operate by conventional rules of di- | of every business in Toronto on Sunday. SO 504 three bedroom homes plomacy or even the rules of war. He proved that fighting Iran with chemicals and gas. And there is speculation Iraq has crude nuclear weap- ons, or is close to having them. Iraq cannot survive an economic blockade. But if Saddam starts knocking off innocents, the rest of the world will have no choice but to opt for a military solution that will cost many lives on both sides. That's usually the end result of any blackmail. who will be allowed to open? Hotels (obviously), Paul Magdar the furrier (unlikely), the Eaton Centre {good chance), Chinatown (why hol Harbourfront (of course), Ontario Place (well okay), Sam the Record Man (no way). | have a hunch these 'city hall saviours' have bitten off more than they will be able to handle. Once they start making up their list of exceptions, the manure is going to hit the fan 100,000 cellular telephones 50,000,000 cups of coffee. Unfortunately all we're going to get for our $40 million in tax dollars is another four or five year term with 'Super Dave', some of his 'red tied' old cronies and a handful of new party lin- ers we haven't even heard of yet. 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