Don't mention the war

If you ever saw the episode of Fawlty Towers where the German tourists were buzzed about by owner Basil Fawlty and Basil desperately trying to not offend and telling everyone not to mention the war and Hitler, you'll get the reference.

So when Scott Simms, MP, comes up with the inspired notion of launching a ban against German agricultural products (deer related stuff of some kind) in response to their recent vote to ban sealing products from Canada, it was just a matter of time.

I held my breath. Who would be the first chauvinistic, short-sighted insensitive fool to break the silence and talk about how ungrateful those Germans were after all we did for them after the war and besides, those disgraceful people caused the Holocaust!

And the winner is. . . Mr William Rowe, former provincial cabinet minister, former Leader of the Opposition and Rhodes Scholar extraordinaire on his very own radio call-in show (Back Talk - Radio with Attitude) this very afternoon.

Believe it or not.

Even Minister Rideout, with rare presence of mind and uncharacteristic restraint, only called the German position hypocritical.