Thursday, November 11, 2010

REMEMBERING HAS NEVER BEEN SO IMPORTANT

Poppies are on, we're off to the cenotaph in Sidney for ceremonies.

A good day to reflect....not only about lost and injured Canadians in the past conflicts, but also the state of our world now, how we got here and where we are going.

My friends in Tanzania right now are having eyes opened I'm sure. I wish more Canadians could see the abstract poverty in Africa, and other parts of the world....mostly caused by conflict between powerful, greedy men sponsored by nations or corporations intent on raping the land of whatever scarce resource offered for sale or bribe.

When I hear the annual refrain about how Canadians should be thankful for everything our veterans have done for us, maybe a higher power (by no means the ineffectual UN) should ask the question:

"What are YOU doing to make sure their sacrifice was not in vain?"

The world has never seen as much conflict or turmoil as we are seeing now and thank goodness for the USA and their ability to be in so many places at once, patching so many holes in the infrastructure of our planet. Politics and historical events aside, we must all thank the US for doing what it does.....especially given the abysmal state of their own economy. Believe me, in many of these places they are the ONLY thing between semi-peace and total anarchy. The Tea Party or whatever they purport themselves to be....would put a stop to these policies and 'close the barn door' to the developing world. Heaven help the rest of us if that should happen.

Any UN that has terrorist sponsoring nations on it's security council is a joke and I'm ashamed of Canadians for blaming our inability to 'win' a seat on the Council as a Harper mistake. Who wants to be part of a totally ineffective and inefficient, notwithstanding hypocritical, UN sponsored council? Libya, Algeria and Syria have been members of this council in the past.... It will probably save taxpayers 10 million a year or so by not having to augment staff etc with additional responsibilities.

Put the 10 million towards entrepreneurial ventures in Africa, and in Canada, that can "show a man how to fish, and not just give away a fish..." which has not only been our foreign aid policy to date but our domestic one too....thank god for oil, eh Maritimers? Building a sustainable replacement industry for fisheries was never in the offing....more handouts. I say now, that you possess valuable resources other than menu items...you hold the Feds for ransom....oh wait, that's what Danny Williams is doing now! Good on him!

If history has shown anything it is this: What goes around, generally comes around...

Remember our fallen, their efforts and not let it all be in vain....

'Til next time

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