So, This Is What It Has Come To....

Here in the Great White North, we have a whole whack of political parties. Some are pretty straight forward like the Conservaties (Tories) and the Liberals (Grits). Some are probably unique to Canada, like the Bloc Quebecois (Bloc-heads) who are dedicated to taking Quebec out of Confederation and were actually, at one time, the main party in Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. But we also have access to the Twilight Zone with our political parties here. The New Democrats (formerly the Old Communists) recently had a motion ready to go at the Party Convention that declared that Canadian soldiers are terrorists.

More can be found at http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Columnists/Rodriguez_Jose/2006/09/08/1813725.html but the gist of the motion was summed up in this quote:

"No matter how noble our intentions, such as 'bringing democracy' or 'enabling peaceful development,' these goals cannot be achieved by violence when the 'enemy' cannot be distinguished from ordinary citizens. In such a situation Canadian troops end up acting like terrorists, destroying communities, killing and maiming innocent people. In turn our troops become easy targets for others."

Nice stuff. There may be debates in the US, UK, Australia, etc about each country's role in the War On Terror, and rightly so. That is democracy. But here, when our allies are attacked, we just blame our soldiers and label them terrorists.

The leader of the New Democrats is Jack Layton and I do believe I will send him an e-mail expressing my thanks for his Party's appreciation for my fellow soldiers efforts.

 

Just remember that your lives come below his political ambitions in order of importance.

 

How long will it take for the UK to take that stance?

I feel for the canadians, you really do have some liberal politicians with tw@t faced attitudes. You suffered the ultimate amalgamation and over here we (rightly) whinge about Regimental amalgamations. Small fry.

Hopefully for you it can only get better.

 

Tom Watson knows all about that!

 

Wotan,
You just HAD to make my last day prior to leave. In reading that I think I will go now and have a drink to get over the shock of it all.


Binrat

 

To paraphrase the UK Carlsberg ads:

"Canada doesn't make terrorists, but if it did, they'd be the nicest terrorists in the world- Eh?"

 

That way of thinking seems to be common where I live.

 

What! In the USA, but.. your all behind your heros... It is unpatriotic not to be...Strugling to comprehend anti-military stance in amerika...help me..bang *C_Cs head explodes as he attempts to imagine it*

Unless I have the wrong end of the twig?

A sad day indeed when people turn on those who sacrifice themselves for others

 

As the military is the executive arm of foreign policy and internal security for a government, they are part of that government. As part of that government they are reminded time and again that they WILL toe the line of the governments foreign policy. They are issued weapons of varying lethality but they are unable to defend themselves in public, against the very thing they are part of, government.

Wouldnt it be nice if one day, some one with lots of bars, stars, crowns stood up and was counted. Governments eat their young, by killing their military.

 

Sadly it isn't a surprise Wotan. Canadian history is full of it.
The NDP is on it's third incarnation. It has had to reinvent and rename itself twice before because it inevitably becomes the roosting place for the extreme of the Socialist spectrum, and Communists who cant' make it under their own name. This time though, I don't think there are any left of the original mind set to make the change.

The NDP and Liberals were behind cheating WW1 and later veterans out of their war pensions when the OAP was introduced. The claim made was that they couldn't have both, and because the OAP was slightly higher than the war pension, most opted for OAP. It wasn't until many years later, wafter most WW1 had long departed this world, that it was admitted they were in fact entitled to both. Of course it wasn't extended to surviving widows, or for back benefits.
It's the typical socialist attitude that their war service didn't entitle them to anything special over and above those who only had to age to qualify for OAP.

Trudeau was well on his way to exterminating the Canadian Forces, until he discovered they might be useful to him after all when he imposed the War Measures Act during the FLQ crisis and sent armed troops in to Quebec. (He lied to the country, saying the WMA only had efffect in Quebec at the time)

 

This is deeply shocking, I have encountered Canadian Forces in a number of theatres and have found them to be top notch profesionals well above the adverage and a real credit to Canada. I have never heard any Anti military diatribe in Canada but I have only spent real time in Alberta and BC.

 

I meant specifically in my hometown, the rest of my state is putting together care packages to send to the troops 24-7.

My school refused to run an anouncement that members of the Oregon National Guard were desperately looking for shoes to give to local kids because the message ran the risk of being "supportive of the military"

 

CJ, that's unlucky, but surely also a rarity, in the great US of A?

Seriously, as far as i'm aware, most americans (save for the hippy types) are well supportive of american servicemen. Whereas in the UK it tends to be far more popular to be apathetic about the forces!

 

Send in Joint taskforce 2

 

Oregon State, has a reputation for liberal politics. The school Kevin mentioned is trying to steer clear of distubing some of these more liberal educators, (academicians,) politicians and parents, who support the PC attitudes, that are so prevalent in Oregon. The Portland, OR area is the worst of that area for this sort of thing.

We here in Washington, State have similar problems in Western, WA., especially in the Seattle area. The Eastern part of Washington, State is vastly different in their thinking.

The majority of Americans support our troops, especially among the Veterans community. Veterans, tend to take a more active role in this support then the average person on the street.

The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, The Purple Heart Society, Vietnam Veterans Assn., etc. have posts, chapters, etc. in most towns and in big towns multiple posts and chapters in them. As well as Military Associations of various types.