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:

Spoke at @EUinCanada Symposium on Security & Defence re: Canadian-EU solidarity against Putin's aggression #CSDP2015 pic.twitter.com/IcEdl6fWZv

— Jason Kenney ن (@jkenney) April 30, 2015

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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