October 28, 2002
It is little more than two weeks until November 11--Remembrance Day. There will be commemorations, amongst other places, on Parliament Hill where a somber looking Jean Chrétien will no doubt do an imitation of someone who cares. But neither the Prime Minister nor his government really do care. The governing Liberals will go through the motions of wearing poppies and observing a moment of silence for those who sacrificed their lives defending their country. But caring about Canada’s past is inconsistent with the way the government treats today’s challenges.
Ever since coming to power in 1993, the Liberals have gutted Canada’s military. To give them the benefit of the doubt, the United States and other countries vastly reduced their military capabilities when the Cold War ended. But even in the aftermath of September 11, our government sees no reason for military preparedness. Military spending just isn’t a priority. As long as there are sufficient funds to have some troops and some equipment, the government is happy. The Liberals have no shame when they have to go to our neighbours to the south--you know the ones that are greedy and arrogant--to beg for equipment and lifts to foreign soil. It is often said that the main function of a government is to protect its citizens but this is lost on our government.
In the days leading up to and including November 11, the Chretoonies will pay their respects to those who have died defending Canada while paying absolutely no attention to current threats that we face. How can anyone believe that Jean Chrétien is sincere about veterans who gave their lives 60 years ago when he shows complete indifference towards Canadians who have recently died from terrorist attacks? Where was the anger when 24 Canadians died in the World Trade Center? The only comment Chrétien made about those victims was to announce, somewhat proudly, that some of them had been born in other countries. And Chrétien said nothing about the two Canadians, one dead and the other presumed dead, who were killed in the recent terrorist attack in Bali. Not even worth a mention. Chrétien will bow his head in front of memorials commemorating the loss of life years ago, but he sees no need to create a memorial to the WTC victims. Jean was probably too busy getting ready to cavort with the Hezballah at the Francophonie in Beirut to bother mentioning Bali. Where was the anger that Tony Blair displayed after the attack on New York? Where was the anger that John Howard showed after Australian citizens were killed in Bali? Of course, Bill Graham, the Foreign Minister did make a comment after the attack in Bali, saying that terrorist acts are not the way to make political points. Graham is probably in favour of Muslim countries having a free and fair vote to drive Israel into the sea. Or to have the sharia adopted in Canada, after which there will be a lot of one-handed cabinet ministers in Ottawa.
Perhaps Chrétien, in his disregard for the threats of terrorism, is just reflecting the views of a majority of Canadians who believe that as long as we play nice with everybody, no one will ever attack our multicultural paradise. The possibility of a bombed out Montreal or Toronto doesn’t upset Canadians as much as the possibility of a Coach’s Corner without Ron MacLean. Security in Canada means being able to get drunk and then to go to a doctor the next day without paying. We probably have the government that we deserve.
Chrétien and his believers should just end the hypocrisy of pretending to care about those who died for their country while refusing to acknowledge present threats. So when you see the prime minister and other dignitaries praising the actions of those who died in previous wars, remember those recent deaths that appear to mean so little.
Arthur Weinreb is a lawyer and author and Associate Editor of Canadafreepress.com, he can be reached at: aweinreb@interlog.com
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