Is Paul Martin stealing ideas?

Last year I read an interesting book called Navigating a New World - Canada's Global Future. An interesting read, though altogether far too many anecdotes about the author's political career in Canada. Of particular interest, however, was the section of the book dealing with the UN. In it, the author suggests that he and several other European representatives worked very hard on adopting (and I forget the actual term) a resolution that would require the UN to intervene in national conflagrations that threatened innocent lives. He called it something like "the concept of 'human security'", that should propel us to act in the interest of our fellow humans, not just in state interest. Very, very compelling argument. Unfortunately, the USA did not agree, and the resolution failed to materialize.

The author of this book was Lloyd Axworthy. The Honourable Lloyd Axworthy, P.C., O.C., O.M., Ph.D. Lloyd Axworthy is a Senior Associate at the Liu Institute, assisting in its work and development addressing contemporary global issues. Formerly the director at the Institute, Dr. Axworthy became the president and vice-chancellor of The University of Winnipeg as of May 1, 2004. I'm sure we all know what Llyod's political carrer was in Canada (look it up if you don't).

So I find it extremely interesting to read an article today from the Ottawa Citizen entitled "Praise and Critisism for the two UN's". This little except in particular:

EU Love-In
Calling their partnership "strong, long-standing, healthy and dynamic," leaders of the European Union and Prime Minister Paul Martin put several commitments on paper after a day of meetings in Niagara-on-the-Lake on Sunday. If Canada's friends at the EU feel this country too often ignores Europe because it's concentrating on relations
with the U.S., there was no evidence of it in Southern Ontario this weekend.

The relationship seemed solid as the partners jointly declared their endorsement of a pet project of Mr. Martin's, namely the "responsibility to protect," as a way of preventing genocide, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. The Responsibility to Protect document, proposed by a Canadian commission, says states have the responsibility to intervene if another state cannot or will not protect its
citizens.

I urge you, read the book and see for yourself. Martin is poaching a great idea from someone else and claiming he came up with it himself? Should we be shocked anymore?

I would have liked to have seen Alan Rock speak at the Canadian Institute of International Affairs (which, interestingly enough, has an office at Glendon College); because I would have asked him what he thought of this blatant foul.