There was a revealing moment during the CBC's coverage of the National Day of Honour, when an armoured car and other military vehicles rolled on to Parliament Hill.
And for a few seconds at least, the CBC reporter Hannah Thibedeau seemed genuinely shocked by the sight. She quickly regained her composure, and seemed almost embarrassed by her reaction.
But I thought she should have trusted her first instinct, for I too thought that there was something not quite right, or Canadian, about that invasion of Parliament Hill...
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.
It couldn't have been a more welcome sight. The last Canadian soldiers returning from Afghanistan.
If I had been watching them coming in to land, I would have been waving my arms in the air, and shouting "Glory Hallelujah, we are free at last."
And this couldn't have been a happier sight.
There were tears, smiles and warm embraces as loved ones greeted the final homecoming flight from Kabul – the last soldiers to return from a costly military mission that spanned more than a decade and claimed the lives of 162 Canadians.
But then there was the ghastly sight of our shabby leader Stephen Harper.
It's hard to believe after what the Harper Cons have done to our veterans, that they could treat or betray them even more than they already have.
But that's exactly what they are doing. First they closed down those veteran service centres for no good reason.
Now they're going after their healthcare plans.
Well he wasn't available to answer questions in the House of Commons yesterday, no doubt having decided that discretion ducking and covering was the better part of valour.
After having revealed his ghastly colours, again, by first bullying a group of elderly veterans in the most disgusting manner. Then "sincerely" apologizing, sort of. Only to claim it wasn't his fault, and that the vets had been duped by the unions.
But Julian Fantino did manage to crawl into the Commons later in the day, to join his fellow Cons in crushing this NDP motion.
I don't think it's possible for Julian Fantino to sink any lower than he did the other day.
By treating elderly veterans like children and giving them the bum's rush.
But I see he's trying hard to accomplish the impossible. For there he was today defending the indefensible, blaming the victims, and trying to smear those who dare criticize him.
The other night I wrote about how disgusted I was to see Chris Alexander, the Con Immigration Minister, go after Deb Matthews, the Health Minister of Ontario, like a schoolyard bully.
For the "crime" of standing up for the right of refugee claimants to receive health care.
And I quoted this paragraph from a column by Carol Goar, that summed up what he has become.
He had the talent, the knowledge, the international experience and the diplomatic skill to be an exemplary minister of citizenship and immigration. He chose instead to use his power to crack down on sick, vulnerable people.
Only to see today that Alexander has gone after Goar...
There couldn't be a more powerful protest. Or a greater slap in the face.
For years he posed as a patriot, for years he strutted around boasting he was the best friend the Canadian military ever had. For years he could count on the support of most veterans.
But not anymore.
