The legendary George Jonas on the upcoming trial of Conrad Black:
Yes, I'm Conrad's friend. Ages ago, in another life, I was married to his wife, Barbara. I could say that he's magnanimous and shows considerable grace under fire. As a gentleman of old-fashioned gallantry, he would probably go out on a limb for a friend.
Not me: I'm neither courageous nor particularly magnanimous, and if I thought that calling him innocent was going out on a limb, I wouldn't do it. But I don't have to go out on a limb because I know that he's being lied about. I don't have to know about his business dealings to know the falsity of the fulminating hogwash his persecutors have been dishing out about his supposed greed, social ambition, snobbery and venality. I see through the vicious innuendos, the attempts to railroad Conrad by piggybacking Hollinger on fiascos such as World Com or Enron. They're false comparisons: Conrad didn't lose his shareholders a billion dollars: He made them several billions.
It's one thing to say nothing when a person is being robbed, but it's hard to stand by when someone is being called a thief by the bandits who are robbing him. Conrad and I have been social acquaintances for many years, but friends only in the last few: I was drawn to him by what I perceived as the injustice of his persecution. I'm a foul-weather friend, I suppose -- but then he has had plenty of fair-weather friends.
In addition to being one of the best and most important Canadian writers alive today, especially on issues like the intellectual bankruptcy of the modern Left and foreign affairs, George Jonas is also an amazing human being.
Add me to the list of foul-weather friends looking forward to the start of the trial.
