Thursday, April 30, 2015

The Canadian Forces and the Shame of Harper's Army



Ever since he came to power Stephen Harper has been trying to militarize this country.

Trying to destroy our noble peacekeeping traditions, and turn our military into Harper's Army, with his hollow slogan:

STRONG. PROUD. FREE.

But as a new report makes clear the truth couldn't be more UGLY.

The Canadian Armed Forces are marred by a “sexualized culture” that disproportionately affects women and homosexual members, with junior officers frequently turning a blind eye to the hostile environment created by a spectrum of activities that goes from discriminatory jokes to sexual assault, a new report has found.

Or more disgusting.

“Cumulatively, such conduct creates an environment that is hostile to women and LGTBQ members, and is conducive to more serious incidents of sexual harassment and assault,” the report said. “At the most serious extreme, these reports of sexual violence highlighted the use of sex to enforce power relationships and to punish and ostracize a member of a unit.”

We should have known something was terribly wrong by the shabby way the military has treated its veterans...



For no decent Canadian army would break a bond with those who have served it with distinction, abandon them and condemn them to misery.

We should have known that something was out of balance when top generals kept shuffling forward to defend the Con regime.

Or would allow that regime to turn this so-called recruitment ad into more Con propaganda...



But now that we know that their values are NOT our values, and that even some of its own members are not strong, proud or free.

We need to overhaul our army from top to bottom, and make the brass buttons fly in every direction.

You know, although I'm not a militaristic person, I used to be proud of our Canadian Forces. I know that it has decent people in it, I am friends with several soldiers, so their pain is mine.



But I have been absolutely disgusted by all the stories of sexual assault and violence against women I keep reading. I just can't believe this is happening in the fifteenth year of the 21st Century. This insane war of women has got to stop.

And an army that doesn't respect women and gay Canadians is not MY army.

But then why should we be surprised? When more than twelve hours after the report was released, Jason Kenney, the so-called Minister of Defence, has yet to issue even ONE solitary tweet about the report's stunning revelations.

Preferring to tweet stuff like this:


And echo the Con regime's belligerent vision of what they would want our army and our country to become.

Rather than stand up for the women and LBGT people in the military, who he likes to pretend he is leading...



But then of course Kenney has opposed the rights of women and gay people from the day he entered politics. So no wonder that porky little coward is missing in action.

And why should we be surprised that his depraved leader is doing to our army what he is doing to our country?  

For that monstrous bully does corrupt everything he touches....



But at least we do know this:

That is not our army, and this nightmare isn't our Canada.

And will not get them both back.

Until the day him and his beastly regime are finally defeated...

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5 comments:

Marmalade said...

I know one female member who was harassed and when she reported it, was told "to suck it up"!

Anonymous said...

Hi Simon,

Same story with the RCMP all federal agents seem to have this problem it is a refection of the top. The crooked wretched PMO and the head slime ball himself Harper the dirger.

I had to ask myself a few times if the disappearance of aboriginal woman had any thing to do with the sexist behavior of the male RCMP that were also raping their their female counter parts. It sure makes one wonder? It would be easy to rape and then disappear a woman if you had a cop car uniform gun and badge would it not?

"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ to Saint John the Evangelist, at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a book or scroll in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals. The Lamb of God, or Lion of Judah (Jesus Christ), opens the first four of the seven seals, which summons four beings that ride out on white, red, black, and pale horses. Although some interpretations differ, in most accounts, the four riders are seen as symbolizing Conquest,[1] War,[2] Famine,[3] and Death, respectively. The Christian apocalyptic vision is that the four horsemen are to set a divine apocalypse upon the world as harbingers of the Last Judgment.[1][4]"

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse

Harper has ridden in on the pale horse and he is called death. Take note of that last sentence of the quote Harper's church is a bunch of religious zealots who think it is their job to punish humanity in the name of dog spelled backwards.

Mogs

Simon said...

hi Kathleen...the situation is appalling and I must say I'm very disappointed. I honestly thought our army was better than that. And we need to shake-up the leadership for allowing it to turn so toxic. As I said, I believe in nobility, and that's not my army...

Simon said...

hi Mogs...yes the RCMP is afflicted thanks to its militaristic organization by the same problems our army does. I know there are good officers and soldiers, but the example has to come from the top. And that macho bullshit has got to stop...

jrkrideau said...

I wonder just how aware the top brass was of how serious this was? I remember seeing some testemony before the Senate where General Leslie and another general, both retired, were testifying on this subject.

They seemed very frank about the military's problems and the steps taken in dealing with this. Senator Delaire was on the committee, so I suspect they would not have been exaggerating too much. They seemed very confident that the military had a handle on it. Not cured but definitely a good start.