Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Remembrance Day 2014

                                            http://veteransday-pictures.com/

We have become mesmerized by bad behaviour. Michael den Tandt writes that honour is is short supply these days:

Honour is AWOL, missing without leave, in the case of the famous Toronto radio host now accused of serially assaulting at least nine women. Jian Ghomeshi has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime. The allegations against him have not been tested in court. But setting aside the outcome of the police investigation, it is clear from multiple accounts that Ghomeshi ran CBC Radio’s flagship culture show, Q, as his private, undisputed fiefdom. Medieval, you might say.

Honour was in short supply last week in Ottawa. Liberal leader Justin Trudeau turfed two MPs from his caucus over allegations of “serious personal misconduct.”
As far as I have been able to tell, Trudeau went to some lengths to avoid identifying the alleged victims, or indeed the way in which they had been victimized. New Democrats promptly leaked the fact that the allegations concerned sexual harassment of female NDP MPs – and then unloaded on the Liberal leader for making the matter public. The New Democrat deputy leader, Megan Leslie, suggested Saturday on CBC Radio’s The House that a better solution would have been to deal with it all in-house, in other words secretly. 

Den Tandt suggests that, on this Remembrance Day we look to our veterans who have always adhered to a Canadian tradition:

In Afghanistan it was embodied in the Canadian Forces’ “3-d” approach to conflict – defence, diplomacy and development. This was always more than sloganeering. Even the sergeants in the Canadian Forces – especially the sergeants, in my experience – sought to embody strength with compassion. This is not to portray them as delicate do-gooders, but simply to acknowledge that they were very aware they had a purpose over and above that of killing the enemy.

Long before Afghanistan, in Rwanda, or the Medak Pocket in Croatia, the CF ethos lived in a willingness to do the perilous and hard work well, even when the country was uninterested. In Haiti, in 2010, after the earthquake, I remember sitting quietly in the dark, listening to Canadian soldiers speak to one another of the horrors they’d seen that day. There were strength, competence and decency to make any Canadian’s heart swell with pride.

The history of war is the history of folly. But, in the midst of folly, human beings can still be guided by their better angels.


12 comments:

Unknown said...

"This is not to portray them as delicate do-gooders, but simply to acknowledge that they were very aware they had a purpose over and above that of killing the enemy."

Well put Mr. Den Tandt but I have to ask since when did Afghanistan Iraq Iran Syria Libya become Canada's enemies? No such thing except in the machinations of Harper's mind...

Owen Gray said...

Honour is not what Mr. Harper is known for, Mogs.

Unknown said...

http://www.google.com/search?q=stephen+harper+and+the+northern&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=nts&gws_rd=ssl#rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=nts&q=stephen+harper+and+the+northern+nazi+foundation

Ya Owen this is who he really is we westerners that are not far right wing lunatics know what he is really made of, which is the stuff my deceased mother and father fought against in WWII and now through pure "Black Magic" we have not the Canadian Government anymore because it's "The Harper Government" Nigel (W)Right is wrong not right except for his far right leanings...

http://www.torontolife.com/informer/features/2014/03/25/nigel-wright-golden-boy-to-fall-guy/

Unknown said...

Ahh...

"The "party renovation" referenced in the cable is the "renovation" of Canada's indigenous Progressive Conservative Party into a Republican-inspired Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) that is largely subservient to the U.S Empire south of the border."

From:http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/mark-taliano/canada-war-crimes_b_6127190.html

None other than HuffPo...

Imagine that the MSM is starting to open Harper's secret closets...

I think he is done like dinner and cooked like chicken...

Owen Gray said...

Let's hope that the skeletons keep falling out of his closet, Mogs.

Anonymous said...

Did our young Canadian boys die during WW2 so, Harper could sell Canada to Communist China?

It makes me so furious, Harper and his Cons have the gall, to attend our Remembrance Day Services. The Veterans turned their backs on the Conservatives, making their phony speeches last year. Whats more, the Harper's Cons know they aren't welcome.

Six members of my family, served in WW2. Holland cares much more for our fallen and our Veterans, than Harper and his cabal does.

It doesn't matter what skeletons fall out of Harper's closet. Nothing is ever done about his atrocities anyway. The opposition are far too busy, squabbling with each other like preteens while, Harper destroys this country.

Why isn't Harper in prison, as a traitor doing acts of treason for, selling Canada to Communist China?

Owen Gray said...

Twelve months from now we can send him back to Calgary, Anon. Will we do it?

Unknown said...

Well Owen now we have a huge group of people against Harper lawyers scientists war veterans environmentalists anti globalists...

The list is never ending. But do not send Harper back out west he is not welcome keep him in the big TO where he was born we don't want him nor his suicidal right wing policy know not that his fiber is made of.

Unknown said...

Oh and I forgot the Canadian doctors in my list of people who will not support Harperp...

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2014/11/12/Solange-Denis-Effect/

Owen Gray said...

Isn't interesting, Mogs, that Harper seldom mentions Toronto -- except when he's looking for votes.

Unknown said...

Ya hey, Harper is a real camillian lizard...

Owen Gray said...

He plays all the angles, Mogs.