Vimy Ridge

This weekend is the 90th anniversary of Vimy Ridge. It is a significant event in Canadian history because the entire Canadian army fought together for the first time in the War and won one of the few decisive battles in World War I.

I visited the Vimy Memorial when I was in France in 2004. It was quite an experience.

The Denial Machine

The CBC's Fifth Estate has a great documentary, The Denial Machine, available online (in its entirety without commercials) about how Big Tobacco's PR firms and junk scientists from the 1990's are now on the payroll for Exxon Mobil and other oil and coal companies. They are being paid to deny Global Warming and are busy partnering with the Bush White House to censor science and lie to and manipulate the public.

War and Politics

When I lived in Ottawa in 2002, I remember Parliament and the other government buildings lowering their flags to half-mast when Canadian soldiers were killed in Afghanistan. Stephen Harper, the new Prime Minister, reversed government policy to not lower the flag. Moreover, the media was been banned from covering the repatriation ceremony at CFB Trenton today.

"It is not about photo-ops and media coverage," Harper told the House of Commons.

"It is about what is in the best interests of the families."

The unprecedented shutdown of a military airfield Tuesday for the arrival of four dead soldiers has drawn fire from all sides - including some military families touched by tragedy in Afghanistan.

The father of the late Sgt. Marcel Leger said the public participation in his son's homecoming in 2002 was something he will cherish forever.

"It was a Canadian thing. It was something we wanted to show all Canadians - what the cost of their liberty is," Richard Leger said.

"It's still heartwarming to (remember) the people's faces. People were lined up on the 401, in 2002, all the way from Trenton to Toronto.

"They wanted to be there. They had to be there. I was told that often. . . and those are the things I carry with me all my life."

The father of one of the fallen soldiers being repatriated Tuesday is criticizing the government over another controversial decision - to stop lowering the flags on Parliament Hill to half mast when a soldier is killed in combat.

On April 7, Lincoln Dinning wrote a letter to Harper asking him to reconsider the flag decision. The matter took a tragically personal turn two weeks later when Dinning's son, Cpl. Matthew Dinning, was killed in the line of duty.

The grandmother of Pte. Richard Green, who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan four year ago, also wants to see flags lowered.
[Canada.com: MPs, soldiers' families criticize Tory media ban on return of dead ]

Both decisions are drawing lots of criticism. Moreover, they draw parallels to Bush.

In the United States, the Bush administration has been criticized for banning images of the arrival of flag-draped coffins containing the remains of soldiers killed in Iraq.

White House officials imposed the ban out of worry that such photographs would lower public support for the military campaign.
[CBC: Harper on defensive over media ban on return of dead soldiers]

You'd think that emulating Bush would be a bad idea, e.g. Bush's approval ratings slide to new low [CNN], The Generals Revolt [CBS], and The Worst President in History? [Rolling Stone].

Crossing the Aisle

Being an expatriate, I have a difficult time following the Canadian news. In theory, I could watch the CBC news (as the Vancouver feed is available), but I mostly just rely on finding news articles online.

The post-election defection of David Emerson from the Liberals to the Conservatives seems to be the most topical - just days after running as a Liberal and winning, Emerson abandoned the Liberal Party for a post in Harper's cabinet saying "I am pursuing the very agenda I got involved to pursue when I was in the Liberal party supporting Paul Martin...I thought that would bear more fruit for the people of the riding and the people of the province." [1] As he was expounding the Liberal agenda and slamming Harper and the Conservatives just a few days ago, I fail to see how he could be following his conscience. Similarly, in his riding the vote breakdown was 43% Liberal, 34% NDP, and 20% Conservative, so I don't see how he can claim to be doing this to better represent his constituents.

Another Conservative MP, Garth Turner is proposing legislation that would require MPs to win a by-election before switching parties. (However, they would still have the ability to decide sit an independent). "Anybody who switches parties should go back to the people. To do otherwise is to place politicians above the people when, actually, it’s the other way around." [2] This sounds quite reasonable and logical. (But, I doubt it will even happen, as it's not in the interest of the parties).