As you may know, Stephen Harper has proclaimed that next Friday should be a National Day of Honour.
The Government of Canada has set aside this day to mark the end of our country’s military mission in Afghanistan. A national ceremony on Parliament Hill will pay tribute to the fallen, the sacrifices of the wounded, and the special burden borne by families.
And is furiously beating a tiny drum trying to whip up our patriotic fervour, by among other things, promoting this video on his propaganda site.
Because he always did like to pose as a Great Warrior Leader.
Or a Great Patriotic Leader.
When it suited his partisan purposes...
Even as he sold us out to foreign interests, and flooded our country with foreign workers.
And even though he has dishonoured the fallen, by violating our democracy, and our Canadian values. He has betrayed the wounded. Treated our veterans with miserable contempt.
And the Day of Honour is a complete debacle, and nothing but a gigantic photo-op mainly intended to honour HIMSELF.
There's something screwy with protocol as well: normally, it is the Governor General, as Head of State of Canada, who declares Royal Proclamations - yet Stephen Harper made the announcement. As Commander in Chief of the Canadian Forces as well as Head of State, one expects the Governor General to receive the last flag from Kandahar; PM Harper will be doing that as well.
Two RCAF fly-pasts and a military parade, which will salute the PM. A moment of silence, with the inevitable TV close-up of the PM. Afghanistan veterans saluting the PM. Disabled veterans presenting a flag to the PM. So who is really being honoured?
As well as serving the narrow interests of those in corporate Canada, who are paying for this propaganda exercise.
It was promised by the government in honour of people who served their country, but it is largely being underwritten by corporate Canada, even as the Conservative government will doubtless take credit for the military fly past, the parade of regiments, the military bands, the 21-gun salute, the two minutes of national silence and all the attendant pomp and ceremony.
For what else can you call it?
One can’t help but be left with the impression that next week is all about marketing. In background material released by Harper’s office this week, there is a link to more information on the day. It is labelled “Related Product.”
And after reading all of that, and restraining the powerful urge to vomit, all I can say is this:
I will honour all those who served in the Afghanistan War, even though I came to believe it was a monumental mistake and and even greater tragedy...
Because I know that the road to hell was paved with good intentions.
I will honour those who fought bravely in that hellhole, those who were wounded, and all those who were killed.
I will always remember soldiers like Pte. Jonathan Couturier, of Loretteville, Quebec, who while on leave told some of his friends that the war was "useless."
But still went back to Afghanistan to be killed by an IED explosion at the age of 23. Lost like so many others for no good reason, but never forgotten by all those who loved him.
But I will also remember how the Cons and our useless generals mishandled that war from beginning to end. How they led so many to the slaughter, and stained our honour with the shadow of torture.
I will support those for whom that war never ended, and are still suffering so horribly. And all our veterans who have been treated so shabbily.
And above all I pledge to fight harder than ever, in my peaceful but no surrender way, to help drive Stephen Harper and his foul Con regime from power as soon as is humanly possible.
Because one thing is for sure eh?
Writing or speaking the word honour, in the same sentence as the words Stephen Harper, is an absolute ABOMINATION...
For he has dishonoured both himself and his country.
And the best way to honour our soldiers and our veterans, the wounded and the fallen.
Is to defeat the filthy Con regime.
And take our Canada back...
Oh yeah, one more thing.
And this one is for Great
And his stooge generals.
Oh what a shameful propaganda exercise.
Oh what a lovely war...
Please click here to recommend this post at Progressive Bloggers.
There is also a banner for this on the CRA website. All I could think when I saw it there was WTF!
ReplyDeletehi anon...this whole plan was scrambled together at exactly the same time the Cons launched their campaign to remake Harper's image. So it's entirely political, and I suppose we should be grateful that their propaganda doesn't include a link to the Porky Action Plan...
Deletehi Simon--the CRAP party just gets sicker and creeper every day. What the people who attend this exercise in hypocrisy should do at least --is turn their backs to Harper and or Mckay when they take the stage.
ReplyDeletehi anon...yes they really are plumbing the depths of depravity aren't they? I also hope the veterans who can afford to attend can stage some kind of symbolic protest. But the good news is if the Cons are stooping this low they must be really really desperate...
DeleteNot to detract from the Afghanistan issue, Simon, but currently Harper has a free hand to spread and promote his brand of neo-Nazi terror throughout Ukraine. The left wing Ukrainian organization Borotba, whose militants were trapped in the Odessa "House of Trade Unions" set afire by an armed Right Sector mob, sanctionned by the acting Ukraine government which Harper actively supports, have issued the following appeal:
ReplyDelete"May 8 is celebrated all over the world as a day of victory over Nazism that caused millions of losses and much suffering to many people of the world. However, now we see that neo-Nazism raises its head again. Far-right groups and parties are striving to power in many countries. Their members unleash real terror against the dissenters, migrants, the ‘others’, leftwing and anti-fascist activists."
"We have to stop the rise fascism again – that’s our duty to stop it till it is not too late."
"On May 2, 2014 in Ukrainian city Odessa neo-Nazis and far-right groups unleashed a real massacre. Far-right paramilitaries burned alive and beaten to death 46 local residents in the ‘House of Trade-Unions’. They brutally finished off the wounded, shouting ‘Glory to the nation’ and ‘Ukraine is above all’. The neo-Nazis were brought together by authorities so that to eliminate the opponents – anti-fascists, members of leftwing organizations and dissenters among ordinary citizens."
"It happened in ‘Trade-Union house’ on May 2 – the day when Adolf Hitler's storm troopers occupied all trade union headquarters across Germany in 1933, and union leaders were arrested and put in prison or concentration camps."
"New Ukrainian authorities that violently seized power in February include many representatives of far-right and pro-fascist parties – in fact it’s the most far-right government in post-WWII Europe. Current authorities openly justify Nazis and Nazi-collaborators movement responsible for genocide in WWII. And it’s not surprising that new government immediately released all neo-Nazis that were earlier convicted for racist murders. The government of far-rights and oligarchs willingly uses death squads of openly neo-Nazi groups like Right Sector so that to suppress the people’s indignation."
"And the recent tragedy in Odessa – when our comrade anti-fascist Andrey Brazhevsky was brutally killed by fascists - is only one episode in the campaign of neo-Nazi terror. Being whitewashed in media and endorsed by some governments – far-right squads feel their total impunity in Ukraine."
"That’s why we call all the anti-fascist forces to condemn the neo-Nazis and to honor the victims of Nazi-terror in Ukraine on May 8 before Ukrainian embassies."
"The neo-Nazis should be stopped in Ukraine and everywhere."
"Down with all kinds of nationalism and fascism!"
"Long live international solidarity!"
"Nazism – never again!"
BOROTBA.org
hi Rene...I am aware of the disturbing situation in Ukraine, and like you I am deeply troubled by Harper's attempt to stir the pot, and make a bad situation worse. But I have been really strapped for time, for reasons I will explain in my next post. So my post on that situation will have to wait a few days..
DeleteReuters reports that : "Ukraine's Interior Minister (Arsen Avakov) drafted a new special forces unit into the southern port city of Odessa on Monday after what he called the "outrageous" failure of police to tackle pro-Russian separatists in a weekend of violence that killed dozens."
ReplyDeleteThe real criminal is the Right Sector Kiev Minister who lays the blame on "unreliable" Odessa police and wishes to handpick a police force composed of fascist militants who were perpetrators of such crimes.
From the testimony of anti-fascist Borotba activists involved in street clashes with armed Right Sector hooligans who managed to escape from the Trade Union House set afire by a fascist mob and published on their website:
"There were just a few policemen, although the personnel of only local Odessa police was able to control a crowd of a thousand people and, therefore, prevent pogroms and murders. As it turned out, the majority of police officers were ordered to guard the building of Internal Affairs Department. Thus, the whole city was delivered into the hands of neo-Nazi paramilitaries. Although, it is not surprising given the fact that the current Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov has long and close connections to neo-Nazi groups, that are included into the ‘Right Sector’."
"When the column of nationalists marched along Grecheskaya street - a few (some 200-250 people) activists of local Odessa militia tried to stop them. But soon the opponents of nationalists were pelted with stones, bottles and stun grenades. There were heard gunshots. The activist of "Borotba" Ivan has got a gunshot wound into the belly from a military weapon. Then activists and members of Odessa militia tried to escape in the shopping centre "Athena" in the ‘Greek’ square. A crowd of far-right nationalists demanded to start a carnage against them. The far-right paramilitaries started immediately to prepare Molotovs on the square in order to set fire to the shopping center with barricaded Odessa militia members inside it. Police officers managed to save the lives of activists as they drove police cars directly to the entrance of the shopping centre."
Oh Harper wants to go to war. He was very upset he didn't get to play in Iraq, but now he's beating his war drum and sending military to, last I saw, two fronts in the Ukraine nightmare, including Poland. It's extremely frightening and I'm sure it's opportunism for the 2015 election, wanting to be embroiled in war and arguing that it's a very bad time to change direction.
ReplyDeletehi Noah...yes in an attempt to distract us from all his other scandals, and in the manner of other dictators, Lord Harper is beating his tiny war drum again. Fortunately the man has been so discredited nobody really takes him seriously. But I agree with you it is a frightening situation. When you think how Canada once might have been able to play a constructive role and help de-escalate tensions, it's also really depressing. But yet another reason why that foul regime must be removed from power as soon as is humanly possible...
DeleteIt is evident from the above account from Borotba activists that the Right Sector Minister of Internal Affairs, Arsen Avakov, deems the Odessa Police force incompetent and their behaviour "outrageous" inasmuch as they contravened their orders to stand aside and watch as Right Sector fascists pursued their mandate to physically eliminate anti-Kiev and anti-fascist protesters in Odessa, but rather ignored such orders and chose to intervene to protect anti-Kiev protesters from slaughter and further carnage. The Odessa Police behaviour is "outrageous" in the eyes of the Right Sector Minister inasmuch as some police officers chose not to stand aside, but actually interfered with the operations of Right Sector fascists seeking to cleanse Odessa of anti-government protesters. And this is the same neo-fascist government that Harper not only enthusiastically endorses with all kinds of threats and bombast directed towards Russia, combined with generous military and financial support, but on whose behalf he is prepared to intervene in a mass carnage of the local populace not content with the current neo-fascist Kiev regime, but expressing either federalist, autonomist or separatist aspirations....
ReplyDeleteI very deeply cherish our WW2 Veterans and our young Veterans of to-day. We have always been proud of our enlisted. Most decent Canadians want our Veterans cared for, come hell or high water. What offends them, offends us. I really hope our military enlisted and our Veterans boycott Harper's parade. Or indeed, turn their backs upon Harper.
ReplyDeleteHarper is a Neo-Nazi fascist dictator, from way back. The Canadian Nazis donated to Harper's Alliance in 2002. Harper's behavior is bizarre, offensive and demented. Harper is spreading his poison and needs to be got rid of. If we leave Harper until the next election, we will lose our country to a madman.
Thank you Simon for speaking up for our veterans. I also lost a friend in that useless war. If he could see what Harper is doing he too would be disgusted.
ReplyDeleteof course stevie slime stirs the pot, it detracts from the real problems at home. how else to keep people focused on the now 1,200 missing/murdered women, the high rate of unemployment, the destruction of our environment, etc.
ReplyDeletestevie wants a war but he won't go and fight in one. he just wants to give the MSM something to write about besides is mistakes.
harper is looking and sounding more like Putin every day. If things keep going as they are, it will be a new joke; what is the differance between Putin and Haper? nothing.
people can feel free to give their own verisons.
harper's goons are just that, goons adn not the brightest either. msm reports on of his appointed senators, doesn't have "real university" degrees, sort of like those that come through the mail. we have Trinity college/university which does not accept homosexuality, but is permitted to have a teaching faculity. they are now pressing forward with their new law faciluty. these types of colleges are an extension of the harper agenda and filtering into our academic world. the shift is happening. by the time it is finished people will be wondering what happened, but what happened is they didn't pay attention and our country will have been taken over by the christian taliban.