The Real Zionist Threat

With Israeli forces pounding Lebanon, the Zionist threat has once again been exposed. It is not a Jewish conspiracy to take over the world or control the world’s finances. The real Zionist threat has nothing to do with Israel’s actions but in the west’s willingness to allow it.

Ever since the creation of the Israeli state in 1948, our collective guilt over the holocaust has caused us to consistently overlook Israel’s violations of United Nations resolutions and International law. Like a schoolyard bully, Israel continually demonstrates an aggressive nature with little regard for the consequences of its actions and no demonstrated recognition of the gift it has been given.

The idea, when the United Nations created the state, was to allow the Jewish people to have a homeland in which they could flourish in peace. From day one, they abused this privilege with the tacit approval of the western countries. Rather than creating a state where all people could live in peace and harmony, they made heroes of people who would be considered war criminals in any other country.

This country, many of whose citizens have suffered persecution at the hands of others, has perpetuated the very acts that were the basis for the creation of their country. They have participated in the mass murder of civilians, the execution of prisoners of war and assassinations. There are many documented cases of incidents such as the 1953 massacre at Qibya, Jordan, where Israeli’s used machine guns to herd people into their homes which they then blew up killing 66 civilians.

The U.S. State department denounced the massacre and demanded those responsible be “brought to account”. The result? The unit responsible was made part of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) paratroops corps with their leader, Ariel Sharon, becoming Prime Minister in 2001. A little over a year after he became Prime Minister, the IDF conducted a raid on the Palestinian refugee camp at Jenin that was said to be modeled after the Qibya slaughter.

Now, in response to an incursion by Hezbollah into Israel, they have once again over-reacted by mounting massive attacks on Lebanon and killing hundreds of civilians. The United States and Canada have both called them “measured” responses.

That is were the threat comes from.

For years, the west has enabled Israel to disregard International Law in an effort to ensure the survival of the only pro-western democracy in the Middle East. In the process, we have undermined any credibility we might have had with the surrounding, predominately, Arab countries. We appear hypocritical in their eyes, and are viewed with mistrust.

But now, pro-western sentiment in the region is starting to emerge within the Arab nations. Lebanon currently has a pro-western democracy; Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are becoming more open and Iraq is slowly becoming democratic. As this happens Israel will become more and more irrelevant in western eyes.

The problem is a huge part of Israeli wealth comes from the foreign assistance that has been pouring into it for decades. A country of only seven million people, they have managed to produce the best equipped fighting force in the region. According to official estimates, Israel, who has a smaller population than Ontario, spends 7.7% of its Gross Domestic Product, or $9.5 billion, on its military, an amount similar to Canada. Still, they manage to field an impressive military force.

However, as their importance to the west wanes, the economic benefits to Israel of this aid will also decrease. With that comes the risk that Israel will attempt to destabilize the region in order to emphasize its importance. Thus, they will show the need for continued military support while reaping the economic benefits. This may already be the case in Lebanon.

Our nations need to stop enabling this sort of behaviour by ensuring it is more costly for them to create war than attempting to live in peace with their neighbours. They must join the fold of responsible and law abiding nations or face serious international consequences. To do nothing risks war and innocent deaths every time Israeli importance declines.

Just like the schoolyard bully, they must be stood up to and put in their place. Then, maybe, they’ll finally figure it out.

2 Canadians killed in Afghan suicide bombing

A suicide bomber rammed into the last vehicle of a coalition convoy near Kandahar City then blew himself up. Two Canadian soldiers died and eight others were wounded.

CTV.ca News Staff


Cpl. Jason Patrick Warren (left) and Cpl. Francisco Gomez are seen in these images made available by the Department of National Defence.

The blast killed Cpl. Francisco Gomez, 44, of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, and Cpl. Jason Patrick Warren, 29, of the Black Watch, the Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, based in Montreal.

Gomez was a native of Edmonton. He was unmarried with no children. Warren was a native of Quebec City. His marital status wasn't immediately known.

"Many of these soldiers are just finishing a tough six-month mission here. Cpl. Warren had just three weeks to go," CTV's Steve Chao reported from Afghanistan on Saturday.

The eight wounded soldiers suffered non-life threatening injuries, but Chao said one was airlifted to Germany for further medical treatment. Two of them were from Shilo, Man., and the others from Edmonton.

It was the largest single-day number of total casualties Canada has suffered in Afghanistan since the 2002 "friendly fire" incident that killed four and wounded eight.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Cpl. Gomez and Cpl. Warren," said Col. Tom Putt, deputy commander of Task Force Afghanistan. "We will not forget their sacrifice."

Eight Afghan civilians were also hurt in the explosion.

The suicide bomber struck a Canadian Forces Bison armoured vehicle, traveling near the end of a 20-kilometres-long convoy returning to Kandahar Air Field, around 5:30 p.m. local time.

Chao says he interviewed soldiers at the convoy's head who were amazed no one died in the tough fighting they had experienced over the previous 12 days. At that time, they didn't know about the bombing.

Lt.-Col. Tom MacKay, commanding officer of the Black Watch, said Warren had lived in Montreal since 1995.

"He was a soldier under my command for several years," said MacKay. "I knew him to be an outstanding soldier, a very tough soldier, and someone we could rely on.

"My understanding is that he was very keen to go (to Afghanistan), he volunteered to go. This was his second mission overseas. He wanted to do his duty to his country."

Since early 2002, 19 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died in Afghanistan.

Second suicide bomb attack

Some claim Canadian soldiers fired on Afghan vehicles after the first blast. "They shot at everybody, including women and children," said one witness. Canadian commanders denied that claim.

About one hour after the first attack, a second suicide bomber struck just 30 metres away from the first blast. Up to 10 Afghan civilians died and 30 more were wounded.

"We all came running to see what happened," said one Afghan, "but when we got here, another man with explosives came at us. I can't believe this happened."

"This is the first time in Afghanistan that we've seen follow-up suicide bomb attacks like this one," said Chao. "It's a tactic we've often seen in Iraq, but not one employed here."

Afghan government and Canadian military officials say the second attacker was on foot. No coalition troops were involved in the second attack.

Both suicide bombers died in the attacks.

A purported Taliban spokesperson, Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, claimed responsibility for the attacks and said both were undertaken by Afghans.

He also warned that more suicide attacks and ambushes will follow.

However, Chao said this type of double-suicide bombing is a hallmark of al-Qaeda operations in Iraq, and this was the first instance of the tactic being used in Afghanistan.

"We believe they probably are bringing in foreigners with very strongly religious beliefs to carry out suicide bombings," said Maj. Jim Blackburn, a British explosives expert.

Witnesses said a military helicopter airlifted the injured soldiers out of the area. A coalition statement later said they were taken to the multinational hospital at Kandahar airfield, where they received treatment for their injuries.

Official reaction

Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean, Commander in Chief of the Canadian Forces, said in a statement that she was "very saddened to learn today in Italy about the incident near Kandahar, Afghanistan that cost the lives of Corporal Francisco Gomez and Corporal Jason Patrick Warren and that also injured eight other Canadian military personnel.

"The increasing toll of our brave soldiers killed or injured while conducting reconstruction operations in Afghanistan, on behalf of Canada and in solidarity with a civilian population that has suffered such hardships, serves as a painful illustration of the tense predicament in which this country finds itself.

"With each new incident, we are getting a sense of the sacrifice and efforts needed to restore peace and justice to this part of the world. We lack the words to properly recognize the immense determination and selflessness of the members of the Canadian Forces who day in and day out carry out their noble mission to ensure the safety and improve the living conditions of the Afghan people.

"Corporal Gomez and Corporal Warren served their country admirably. From the bottom of our hearts and with the utmost respect, we wish to express our deepest sympathies to their families, friends, loved ones and comrades and to assure them that all Canadians stand with them during these very trying times.''

Prime Minister Stephen Harper also issued a statement.

"On behalf of Canadians, I extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of Corporal Gomez and Corporal Warren, who lost their lives today as a result of a suicide vehicle attack in Afghanistan.''

"Today's tragic incident also injured eight other Canadian Forces members, who are currently receiving treatment.''

"Canadians will never forget the sacrifice these men made on behalf of our country. While deeply saddened by their loss, we are proud of the men and women of the Canadian Forces, who continue to stand on guard for Canadian values around the world, in spite of personal risks to their own safety.''

Brits may pull back: report

The Sunday Telegraph newspaper in Britain reported that the British Army may pull back from some isolated Afghan village outposts that have been the focus of numerous Taliban attacks.

They quoted officers as saying the rationale was to concentrate on a smaller geographic area and get reconstruction work underway.

The British hope to staff the outposts with Afghan National Army or Police personnel.

The British are operating in Helmand province, which is adjacent to Kandahar province, the area of operations for Canada's military. In the past two months, six British soldiers have been killed in Helmand. The total British force is about 3,600, with plans to raise that to 4,500 by October. Canada has about 2,200 troops in Kandahar.

A senior British defence ministry official refused to confirm or deny the Telegraph story.

With a report from CTV's Steve Chao and files from The Canadian Press

Close call in Afghanistan kept quiet

Friendly-fire incident: U.S. dropped 225-kilogram bomb on 17 Canadian troops

Ethan Baron
CanWest News Service


Thursday, July 20, 2006


KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Canadian troops narrowly missed death and serious injury when an American jet dropped a 225-kilogram laser-guided bomb on their position earlier this month in an incident frighteningly similar to the friendly fire attack that killed four Canadian soldiers in 2002.

Soft ground prevented a bloodbath, soldiers said of the incident the military has kept quiet.

Private Rob Adams, who was kneeling five metres from where the bomb landed and was completely engulfed by the fiery flash, received a concussive head injury. He was airlifted by helicopter to hospital at the coalition's Kandahar Airfield base.

His condition was assessed as very good and he has been released from hospital, said Canadian Forces Major Marc Theriault.

Although 17 Canadian troops were within 45 metres of the blast, and shrapnel splinters up to a half-metre long littered the farmer's field where the laser-guided bomb hit, nobody died. But nearly a dozen soldiers were blown through the air.

"We heard it coming. What went through my head was, 'I can't believe they bombed us,'" said one soldier who had been standing just over 10 metres from the impact point.

Another soldier, 25 metres away, was smashed so hard to the ground that the edge of his helmet was pushed in. He is still suffering severe headaches from the July 8 incident.

The explosion blasted a different soldier three metres into a mud hole.

The incident was all too similar to an attack by a U.S. F-16 aircraft that killed four Canadian troops during a training mission near Kandahar in April 2002. Eight other Canadians were injured.

A Canadian soldier who was outside the blast radius in the latest attack saw the bomb hit, and immediately concluded his comrades were dead.

"I thought for sure that everyone was toast, because there's no way you get hit by a 500-pound bomb and walk away," he said.

Had the ground been harder, the three closest soldiers would be dead, and several more severely injured, soldiers said.

"It was soft dirt, so [the bomb] went way deeper than it should have, and the blast went straight up," said one non-commissioned officer.

The crater measured about three metres deep and two metres across.

The near catastrophe occurred around 7 a.m. midway through a chaotic 12-hour battle in Pangawayi, 30 kilometres west of Kandahar. The pilot of the A-10 Warthog ground-attack jet mistook the Canadians for Taliban, the NCO said.

"He's coming in fast, he's coming in low, he's in the middle of a war zone, and he made a wrong call," the NCO said. "That happens. Those guys cover us a lot."

Another soldier was less forgiving. "Pangawayi isn't that big. I don't know why they were dropping bombs."

Other soldiers questioned the Canadian military's response. "It's kind of funny that they haven't come to talk to us," said one. "They haven't even sent us to a doctor. They're going to bury this one deep."

Maj. Theriault said the bombing occurred during "complex combat."

"This happens in dangerous situations where you have multiple directions to look after at the same time. Fire is coming from different directions, and you have fire also coming from above," he said.

"Fortunately, our soldiers suffered only minor injuries."

An investigation is underway, as in the case of any operation gone wrong, he said.

He wasn't sure if the U.S. Army had been notified.

"If it involves a U.S. aircraft, it's pretty much certain contact would have been made with the U.S." Maj. Theriault said.

All of the involved in the incident, except for Pte. Adams, have been in the field and fighting ever since.

© National Post 2006

Canadian Armed Forces in the New Millenium (Intro)

Canada is finally paying attention to its military again. With our advance into southern Afghanistan and the dangers inherent is such a mission, the debate about the role and future composition of the Armed Forces is in the forefront.

It is a subject that is near and dear to my heart.

There seems to be a lot of misconceptions and ignorance over the role of Canada and the state of the Armed Forces. Canada has a proud history of peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts that continues to this day, often despite the leadership back home. Unfortunately, the general population of the country is woefully ignorant of our men and women in uniform.

With over 16 years as a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, my opinions are often diametrically opposed to that of the general public. I have a unique perspective, having served with all three branches of our military. Since I got out, I often seek out the opinions of the people around me on the subject and eagerly drink up any new information that comes my way.

I have written several articles in the past about the role of the Canadian Armed Forces and some of the issues faced by the men and women in uniform. Usually these have been in reaction to some current event or government policy that affects them.

Over the next little while I will be doing a series of articles that pertain to the military, its roles in the world and the changes proposed by our new government. Hopefully it will open a few eyes and minds. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me.

Robbin

We should be ashamed!

We should be ashamed!

Corporal Anthony Boneca gave his life in the service of this country and all certain members of the media care about are some emails he sent. Headlines like “Slain soldier felt `misled'” and “Reservist was disillusioned with military” were plastered all over the place.

This is not the time!

At a time when his family should be left alone to mourn their loss, members of the media are acting like a pack of slavering dogs with the scent of controversy filling the air. Tripping over themselves to get the scoop, they have shown little consideration for the fact a man has died.

The media have managed to paint this soldier as a whiner, an image that will probably stick to his memory for years to come. And, at the time his family should be left alone to plan for his funeral, his father is forced to come out and defend his only son.

They should all be ashamed - and we should too. We have enabled the media by buying into this feeding frenzy instead of turning our backs on this circus and behaving like decent human beings.

We should be ashamed!

Call The Hospital, Robb Has His Tools Out Again

How many of you have seen the scene in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation where the ladder falls out from under Chevy Chase while he is working on the Christmas Lights? Funny stuff, huh?

Well, believe it or not, I know someone who did this for real. The poor man was taking down his Christmas lights and while standing at the top of the ladder the bottom slid out. Unfortunately, rather than ending up hanging from the gutters, he instead rode the ladder to the ground where he landed on top of it. He busted four ribs in the process. Who was this hapless soul? It was none other than my father.

Before everyone bursts into a collective aaahhh, I told you this story because what happened after that shows how there is a thread that weaves through the universe connecting all. There have been studies showing that, even when separated at birth, there is a psychic connection with one’s genetic parents.

That is my excuse for what happened next. Sure, you could say that subliminally my father’s fall was in the back of my mind and I would accept that, because it is better than admitting that I was stupid. You see, I broke my toe on the weekend.

How did this nefarious thing happen, you may ask. Was I involved in the dramatic rescue of a kitten, stopping the destruction of the rain forest or possibly even, catching Osama Bin Laden? These would all be good guesses (mostly because they stroke my ego) but alas, I dropped a crowbar.

Of course, Sir Isaac Newton is partially to blame, for if he had not come out with his theory of gravity this would not have happened. I probably will never know who the evil character was that placed the crowbar on top of my step ladder where I was working, or what evil force of nature caused it to shift to that particular position, but the end result was the same. When I went to move my ladder, down it came, pointy end first, right onto my baby toe.

My wife, being the caring and devoted soul that she is, dove for cover as I spewed forth string after string of profanities. Upon reflection, I realise that I could have improved upon my grammar and possibly thrown in some conjunctions to make it a proper sentence but, for some reason, it just didn’t seem to matter at the time.

As I danced about the kitchen, the aforementioned expletives spouting forth, my doting wife rolled her eyes and went to get the first aid kit. I can’t be sure, but I could swear there was glee in her eyes as she poured gallon after gallon of peroxide onto my gushing wound. As she placed a Snoopy Band-Aid on, what I considered to be a critical mutilation, a life threatening injury of the greatest concern, she sighed and announced that I should probably go to the hospital.

Of course, as many will attest, my wife adores me, hanging on my every word, cherishing my very being. Because of this, I knew it was with a heavy heart that she announced she would take me to the hospital after supper. After all, if we left immediately the roast would be over cooked and it was only another two hours until it was done.

Unfortunately, her concern for me ruined supper. I could tell that the worry made the taste of the food turn sour in her mouth as she had a second helping. It was even more evident as she unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher and stopped to do her nails.

Finally we were on our way to the hospital. Attempting to divert her attention from the distress she must feel she turned on the stereo. With Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves blaring we headed down the road. (note to self: complain about the state of those roads).

I must commend the hospital staff for their professionalism. The triage nurse was great and once she heard my story and stopped laughing I was immediately sent to tell my story to another staff member. I could tell that my wife was very upset by this behaviour as she had tears in her eyes and was complaining about her sides hurting.

They were very thorough as well. There was a bit of momentary panic when I could not remember whether I had received my tetanus shot last year, when I was at the hospital because of the plaster I got in my eye while tearing out some of the ceiling and not wearing safety goggles, or, when I was in having that same eye checked two years ago after getting a branch in it while picking up shingles. I do know that it wasn’t when I stepped on the nail because I didn’t bother going to the hospital that time. After all, I knew my tetanus was up to date and they all seem to laugh too much when I’m there.

The doctor, of course, had much more decorum than that. Entering the room, he was all business as he poked and prodded my toe. Looking studious he announced that, in his opinion, having had years of medical training and experience, my toe was broken. Or bruised. It didn’t really matter though because the treatment was the same. Nothing. It turns out there is nothing they can do other than prescribe mind-numbing drugs (yippee) and tell you to take time off work.

So, here I sit. I have to admire the pretty purple colour my toe has become, but then again, that may be the drugs. I do know that I am bored. There is only so much television that one person can watch and tormenting the cats loses its shine relatively quickly. That Judge Judy is quite the character though.

Ultimately it is my fathers fault. After all, it’s genetic.

Mexican Evolution?

Debilitating debt.

Corruption in government.

An election needing a recount.

Accusations of election fraud.

The president being decided by the courts.

Throw in some hanging chads and the Mexicans will have no reason to sneak into the United States.

Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan

he battle with the Taliban continues to take its toll.

Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan

2 Canadian soldiers wounded in Afghanistan

Making the Punishment Fit the Crime in Urination Case

According to CTV (Accused has 'no memory' of night at War Memorial) the three men photographed urinating on the War Memorial on Canada Day have all apologized.

The oldest, Stephen Fernandes, has stated "I didn't mean any disrespect to any veterans, any soldier serving in country right now, or any Canadian citizen. And I'd like to extend my apologies to anybody that I offended on July 1st."

Because there is no charge in Canada for stupidity, Fernandes has been charged with mischief while the other two, being teenagers, have not been charged but have agreed to do community service.

In order for justice to be served, Fernandes should also be given community service as his punishment. Then all three should be given brushes and buckets of soapy water and sentenced to scrub the War Memorial. That would be a punishment that "fit" the crime.

Canadians have not earned the right to share our grief

Ian Parker, National Post
Published: Thursday, April 27, 2006

As a retired member of the Canadian Armed Forces, I'm disturbed by the media frenzy and the artificial public outcry over the government's decision to restrict the media from CFB Trenton for the arrival of Canadian war dead. I fully support this decision, and I am ashamed of my fellow Canadians. For the past dozen years, when the Liberals were decimating the Canadian military, there was no public outcry. There was no media frenzy. You did not care. Canadians have -- due to their self-centred, insatiable demand for social programs -- wilfully neglected the men and the women of the Canadian Forces and allowed the federal government, under the Liberals, to gut the Canadian military. And now the media and other pundits wish to share in the grief of the military families for their fallen ones?

Where were the public outcry and the media frenzy over the government's obvious agenda to emasculate the Canadian Forces? There was no outcry when the air force was arbitrarily cut due to lack of resources; no outcry that the army, cut to the bone, is now unable to survive on a modern high-tech battlefield; and there has been not been a word over the decimation of the once-proud Canadian navy. In short, there has been no outcry that the Canadian Forces cannot fulfill its mission to defend Canada.

The Canadian media -- and Canadians -- have not earned the right to share our grief. Shame on the Canadian media, and shame on Canadians.

Ian Parker, Carleton Place, Ont.
© National Post 2006

Don't Leave The Toilet Seat Up

Originally posted 10 Oct 2003, I thought in light of the recent spending announcements on the military it might be interesting to revisit my opinion from a couple of years ago

I left the toilet seat up this week.

Once my wife finished berating me, having used every argument in her arsenal including the United Nations Convention on Sanitary Receptacles, vis a vis Women’s Issues, I did as all good Canadians seem prone to do these days. I blamed someone else.

Unfortunately, I have a daughter so I couldn’t blame her. What to do? The dog? Nope, that wouldn’t work. How about the cat? No joy there either. Then it hit me. I used the tried and true method of blaming the government.

Yes, I blamed the government for my wife’s misfortune, just as so many now days blame them for the sorry state of our Armed Forces. Not only do I get to deflect any thoughts of my own culpability in the matter but have a ready-made scapegoat.

Sure, I may have trouble sleeping but I figure if members of the media can sleep at night with all they have done, why can’t I. A little cold porcelain is nothing compared to collective guilt of our illustrious news.

This became even more evident recently with the tragic deaths of two soldiers from the Royal Canadian Regiment on duty in Afghanistan.

Once again the editorials are hitting the papers remonstrating about the inadequate funding for our Armed Forces and how they are using obsolete equipment. And nothing is more illustrative of how two faced our media is than the example of the Sea King helicopter and our four Upholder submarines.

When I heard a commentator in a sarcastic voice belittling the Armed Forces for buying four leaky submarines I couldn’t believe it. Here’s a scoop for you guys, I will solve the mystery of that purchase right here and now. Are you ready?

The reason our Armed Forces bought these substandard boats is because when they attempted to buy better ones the media had a fit. It was too much money, they said, too extravagant, they said. Well guys (used in the asexual way), you get what you pay for.

As for the Sea Kings, I can’t even begin to count how many editorials I have read recently condemning the government for allowing these dinosaurs to continue to fly. The media has yelled and screamed for replacements. Excuse me?

Let’s have a little reality check here. The truth is that the Sea Kings would have been retired by now if the media and the Liberals had not made the purchase of the EH101 replacement helicopters a political issue. It would seem that they have forgotten that if the purchase had gone through, not only would we, as taxpayers, have saved the $800 million cancellation cost but also the Sea Kings would be retired.

I would love to know how any Liberal can sleep at night knowing that the only election promise they kept was the one that has killed people. Remember the GST promise, the one to kill it when elected? Nada. The renegotiation of NAFTA? Zip. How about an independent Ethics Commissioner? Zilch. But hey, why not needlessly endanger the lives of the people who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Disposable people, what a concept.

I know, as I looked upon the flag draped casket of one of my colleagues I was angry. Even more so when I was talking to the heavily bandaged Captain who was the only survivor of the crash, the same Sea King yours truly had flown in a few months earlier.

But I did not only blame the government, for they were only doing what people had voted them to do. For, in my mind, anyone who voted for the Liberals in the 1993 election is equally guilty.

So we all must share the collective blame in this. The media for making being two faced and the voters for buying into it. We need to start looking at the down the road effect of the decisions we make and the reality of the situation.

As an example, if the Canadian Armed Forces signed a contract today for new helicopters it would be a minimum of 10 years before they received them. And the funny thing is, if the politicians stay out of it, the best one is still the EH101.

So here’s what we can do to help expunge our collective guilt. Email, write or phone our politicians to let them know that we care about our troops. Tell them you want them to actually start to fund our troops rather than the window dressing that they gave us in that last budget. The $800 million increase probably won’t even pay for their deployment to Afghanistan.

Remember these are human beings we are talking about. These are men and women who are living a life none of us would want. Because of the cutbacks in personnel, a lot of these people will deploy for 6-8 months, come back home for a couple and then be gone again. I read recently of a soldier who has been in the forces for five years and has already had six overseas deployments. That’s a minimum of three years away from friends and family!

I heard a rumour that the person listed below might have some influence in the Department of National Defense. With a federal election in the not too distance future he may be inclined to listen so give him a call.

The Honourable John McCallum

House of Commons

Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Phone: (613) 996-3374

Fax: (613) 992-3921

Email: mccalj@parl.gc.ca

As for me, I think I will fess up and promise to make sure the seat is down in the future. Initially, there will be hell to pay but at least I will sleep better.

Rediscovering our military

It's time we understood the importance of our forces

By Linda Williamson, Toronto Sun

If you thought last week's string of massive military spending announcements -- $15 billion and counting -- was all about buying new toys for our boys and girls in uniform, you really missed the boat. And the plane, truck and helicopter.

It was about something much more fundamental: Our government finally doing its job by rebuilding our armed forces and reminding us all of their importance.

But if you didn't get that, you aren't alone.

Canadians' relationship with our military has been so eroded in this country over the past few decades that it will take a lot more than new equipment to fix the problem.

I'm not talking about the ambivalence of some Canadians toward our current, dangerous mission in Afghanistan. I'm talking about the ambivalence of many of us toward anything to do with our armed forces, period.

Thanks to government neglect and years of recharacterizing our fighting soldiers as "peacekeepers" (little more than armed foreign aid workers), many of us grew up thinking of the military as practically unnecesary and vaguely shameful.

Coming of age in the shadow of Vietnam and under the threat of nuclear war -- and too far removed from the two World Wars to truly understand soldiers' sacrifice -- my generation absorbed a largely negative view of all things military.

Government slashing of defence budgets seemed just fine -- less money for the war-makers, more for health care, right? Besides, this is Canada. Aren't we too nice to fight?

The scary thing is, this idiotic, naive attitude became so pervasive in Canada, it left us with a military crisis that is now going to cost us more billions and decades to turn around.

This troubling tendency to see our military as "peripheral" -- instead of crucial to our survival as a nation -- is the focus of a stunning chapter of the latest report by the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence, released on the eve of the government's spending spree.

Most news stories on the report concentrated on its call for a lot more spending than the government's planned $15 billion (the senators, who have warned for five years that Canada can no longer defend itself against a serious terrorist attack, natural disaster or pandemic, want a much bigger, much better-equipped fighting force than even the Conservatives envision). But its passionate call for renewed public understanding of the military is its far more important message.

In fact, it's the title of the report: The Government's No. 1 Job (available online at sen-sec.ca)

"Too many Canadians are indifferent toward -- or wary of -- the concept of a healthy and effective Canadian military," the report warns. While it praises Prime Minister Stephen Harper for things like his stirring speech to the troops in Afghanistan about how Canada must stand strong in the world and no longer cheer from the sidelines, that's only a start.

From before Confederation through the Korean War, Canadians understood the importance of their military, the senators argue -- but post-Vietnam, they "lost touch" with it, culminating in a "monumental lack of interest" by governments and the public by the end of the 20th century.

"Everybody went to sleep," they lament.

Not vulnerable to attack

Even post-9/11, the attitude persists that as long as we're not the big, bad USA, Canada isn't vulnerable to attack (though perversely, many Canadians believe the U.S. will defend us if we are). Cost-cutting, vote-seeking politicians are equally to blame, say the senators, as are (hello!) journalists.

"We have more than 2,300 of our sons and daughters in one of the most dangerous places in the world, and 32 million Canadians should be there with them, but until recently most Canadians probably didn't even know they were there," the senators fume, in an urgent call for informed public debate.

We can -- and should -- argue with each other over the particulars of things like our ongoing mission in Afghanistan. (For instance, I support the mission and strongly disagree with Eric Margolis' view on Page C6 -- but I applaud him for furthering the debate.) What we can't argue with, however, is our duty as a country to rebuild an effective armed forces -- and to support them wholeheartedly in whatever we ask them to do.

"No matter what we think about the rationale for this mission, we have a duty of care to these people," the report declares. "They are there for us. We need to be there for them."

At last, we're giving them the tools they need to fight our battles -- the least we can do is give our hearts and minds as well.

Happy Canada Day? Not for Everyone

As Canadians, we should be ashamed of ourselves on this Canada Day weekend. No, I am not talking about Afghanistan, the Conservatives or softwood lumber but our self-centered attitudes as we force others to work for our own convenience.

As many sit back to enjoy the sunshine and a long weekend, there are many more for whom this not a holiday at all. And, it’s going to get worse.

Whining about losing profits, some large retail stores have stated they will defy the Retail Business Holidays Act and open anyway. Number one among them is A&P Canada, which owns Dominion, and Shoppers Drug Mart.

Shoppers plans on taking advantage of the portion of the law which allows pharmacies smaller than 7,500 square feet to be open. As we have seen in recent years, these small pharmacies have been rapidly replaced by large stores in which medical supplies are the smallest portion of their business and much bigger than 7,500 square feet.

When it comes to grocery stores, the law states it is illegal for stores bigger than 2,400 square feet to be open. In this age of big box stores, there are very few that meet this criteria.

The Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors complains that this law gives an unfair advantage to the smaller retailers. It would seem that the small local grocery stores being open on a holiday are a threat to the mega profits of A&P. This complaint also comes at a time when big chain stores are putting small family owned stores out of business.

According to spokeswoman, Kim McKinnon, “as an industry we've been working to have the act changed, it’s always been based on consumer need."

It is not consumer need but the convenience of the selfish consumer.

We need to remember that, as we buy our loaves of bread we forgot to pick up the day before, someone else is forced to work in order to supply this item. As we stroll up and down the aisles picking up those last minute items, numerous people have to leave their friends and families to work, all in the name of convenience and corporate profit. Even if a store is closed on the holiday, the retail worker still does not get a long weekend because it will be open on the Monday and they will be expected to be there.

Even more insulting is the fact these large corporations are putting profit ahead of allowing their employees to celebrate the birth of our country. At a time when our troops are fighting and dieing for our freedom, A&P and Shoppers are more worried about money than the nation that has contributed to their prosperity. While the people who run these companies are sipping their drinks in the sun, they treat their employees like serfs.

Instead of loosening the laws, they need to be stiffened. No large store should be allowed to be open on a holiday, especially Canada Day, no exceptions. Anyone who violates this should be fined heavily to offset any profit they might make. Maybe we should also force the owners to perform community service on weekends and holidays. And we, as consumers, should boycott any store that defies the holiday and opens.

Or, maybe the laws should be changed to allow stores to open but only if managers and company officers work while regular employees have the day off. Then we would see how important their profits actually are.

Ultimately, we need to see those in front of us and realize the consequences of our actions.

This is my Canada

It was a beautiful day for an outing.

The sun was shining with just a scattering of clouds to keep it from becoming overwhelmingly hot and there was just the wisp of a breeze. It was a great day to be at Canada’s Wonderland.

It was also an interesting look at the fabric of Canada.

Standing in line waiting to go on the Psyclone, and wondering how I had been talked into this, I started observing the people around me. Perhaps it was a distraction technique to take my mind off the fool act I was about to commit, but I found it fascinating none the less.

There was a time I would have looked at that crowd and seen mostly Caucasian faces looking back. Not anymore. This crowd covered the spectrum of colours, from black to white, and all shades in between. It struck me how different this was from my youth and how much this represented the Canada of the 21st century.

Most interesting of all was the intermingling of cultures.

Behind me was an East Indian woman with her head leaning on the chest of a man of African descent. A little way over was a Lebanese girl holding hands and talking animatedly with a Caucasian guy. In the next row over, I could hear the animated conversation, about which Power Ranger was the best, going on between three girls in their early teens, one Caucasian, one Asian and one Muslim. (blue or red Power Ranger?)

I looked around some more and noticed most of the people were in western style clothes. There were some obvious Muslims, with their headgear and designer jeans, and the occasional Hindu. All of them were talking excitedly, as people will while at the amusement park, clutching their cokes and eating junk food.

Sitting by the entrance to a rollercoaster, I spotted a woman in a burka with her children, all of them obviously wound up by what was going on around them (parents will know what I am talking about). Standing in line to get funnel cakes and candy were, again, people of all nationalities and religions, white, black, Muslim, Christian, Hindu.

And it struck me; here we were, all together, to have fun. There was no racial intolerance, no religious extremism, no terrorist plots, just a bunch of people enjoying a day out with the family, having a good time and eating junk. No one cared that the person in front was black or brown or that the person behind was Muslim or Buddhist. We were just people who were enjoying life.

And it gave me great hope, for this is my Canada.

The Hamas Paradox

The recent situation in Israel has painted Hamas into a corner.

Whether you side with Israel or Palestine, the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier by the military wing of Hamas puts the very legitimacy of the government on the line and sets the stage for continued strife in the area.

It boils down to this, does Hamas actually have control of its military wing and, if it does, did they not just commit an act of war?

If Hamas does actually control the militants then you have a situation where a governing body ordered the attack on a sovereign nation. Given the confusing status of the region they either committed an act of war or insurrection.

If they didn’t order the attack and do not control the militants then are they not merely figureheads who in reality govern nothing? They would lack legitimacy. Why then would any country deal with them since they obviously do not have the power to deliver on any promises they make.

Either way, the Palestinians people lose.