Remembrance - Poppies / Matilda

This morning I read a good discussion of the poem In Flanders Fields at the Tyee Web site. That web site is a good independent voice of news in BC. The article does a good job of putting this all just so Canadian an icon in perspective.
 The photo on the left shows my maternal grandfather John Gibson in his WWI sergeant's uniform of the York and Simcoe Foresters. (Actually the York part of this name is a bit of a puzzle. On his attestation papers the stamp says that he joined the Y & S Foresters Construction. I read somewhere that was York and Simcoe but can't find any such reference on the web. There was a 35th Regiment (Simcoe Foresters) which is probably the same thing.
 John Gibson joined just in time for the autumn campaign in Flanders and northern France). He survived and lived for many years after the war. The picture on the right shows Bert Belcher who would have been my mother's uncle if he had survived the war. He joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in October 1915 but never made it out of Canada. He was buried in Saskatoon in 1916.
 In some ways the world is still feeling the effects of those battles. The battles in Turkey and the empire partitions in the Middle East were direct contributions to the current turmoil in that area. The Balkanization of the Balkans took hold during the Great War. And the repatriations imposed by the Treaty of Versailles were direct causes of Germany's need to regain power in WWII.
 At that same Tyee web page I found a reference to the moving song by Eric Bogle named The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. Even with all my time in Australia I had missed that one. The lyrics are quite moving. WWI was known as the war to end all wars but it ended little. Yes, I do believe in peace but the world is a tough place and sometimes we have to stand up for what we believe in.

It could be worse - Amiel & Conrad Black

I spent some time today reading the trashy gossip about Barbara Amiel and Conrad Black in the TimesOnline edition. Ouch. Great story. Nothing like getting all your dirty laundry and old writings aired in public. They even published a story entitled Maneating her Way Up that details the steps that Barbara made on her smitten lovers on the way to the top. The articles are based on a new book Outrageous Fortune: The Rise and Ruin of Conrad and Lady Black by Tom Bower. Looks like a doozie to me. 

Of course things could be worse for Canada's ex-power couple. Instead of being prominently spread naked -- in words at least -- in something sleazy like one of those gossip columns that she used to write in the old Toronto Sun instead of something respectable like the Times. (I hope that they both appreciate getting so much free publicity in what has been the English newspaper of record for more than 2 centuries). I am sure that teams of lawyers must have gone over every word of the story and the book; but I imagine that Mr. Murdoch must be really pissed off to put some much emphasis in his newspapers to the downfall of Lord Black of Cross Harbour. Too bad that we can't get such controversial news in the Canadian press. Our libel laws are too liberal and privacy laws too strict. They make it nearly impossible to get the truth about our national oligarchy out to a national audience. 

 Rogers Communications publishes Maclean's which is Canada's only national news magazine. Their favourite columnist? Barbara Amiel. What is the chance that they will give prominence to this story and this book? Here where I live in the Vancouver area, news ownership is even more monopolistic than normal even in Canada. CanWest Global owns not only the most watched source of television News but also both daily Vancouver newspapers. 

 Now they pass out free morning newspapers and have the audacity to call their main web site Canada.com! At least on the web we have some choice. I like the Tyee web site for some balanced BC opinions. Vancouver's Georgia Straight used to be quite outrageous but these days its political expose of the month is splashed on the front page but most of the other pages could be published just as well in the Langley Times or the Tri-City News. I am afraid that advertising for prostitution 'escort' agencies is hardly likely to shake the business establishment nowadays.

Afghanistan travels and arguments

I am one of the lucky few travellers who has visited the great tourist attractions of Afghanistan. I am not joking. Some of the finest scenery on this planet is found in the mountainous regions of Central Asia. I have photos and words at my Afghan Travelogue page. It is probably not a coincidence that tribalism, factionalism and Muslim fanaticism have all prospered in these remote mountain valleys. There are many places to hide and one needs a strong moral belief system and strong tribal group to survive. History and the weather have ensured that individualists have a great disadvantage in Central Asia. 

I recently came across the letter of a Canadian soldier written as he headed off to Afghanistan. I find his arguments are convincing and written well. He wishes to be discrete so lets call him 'MTS':

Heading out for my deployment to Kandahar in a couple of days; but before I go I just wanted to get a few things off my chest that have bothered me as I get so many "take care, stay safe" phone calls and farewells. For all of you who know me know I don't always speak up but this time I think I will, just to enlighten you on what my goals for this next six month really are. They in fact go well beyond the next six months and will continue to develop over the next generation.

For my friends who have already served over there, I'm proud to be following in your footsteps ( just hope I don't muck em up ). Its taken me some time to figure out what I wanted to say but here goes: Disagree or not - this is how I feel, I hope it is respected. When people say to me they support our troops but don't think we should be there, it really hurts me... if they understood completely why Canada was chosen to go over there and knew the history of Afghanistan they would see the honour that goes with such a mission. Yes our countrymen love their "peacekeepers" but we got to be that way only by doing mission like these. 

We as a country were losing face in the eyes of NATO by previous failed missions. Bosnia was a relative success (thanks in a large part to Canadian troops) and Afghanistan is another arena were other countries have balked at responsibility for (the old we won't fight America's war). But is it really just their war? Look at the countries that have had terrorist acts targeted towards them; Spain, England, France, Australia of course the USA and others in just the past 2 yrs. Its simply amazing that Canada has not had a successful attack targeted towards us. Some tried but were caught (the group of 17 in Toronto). 

They live amongst us here whether we know it or even like it but its true... they do. They riot over cartoons in the newspapers. Our country was built on the very essence of respect between our cultural differences. If we can show that our country actually cares, and is willing to bear the burden of loss and help them re-build; then maybe just maybe the extremist that are out there will think differently on Canada as opposed to how they view the rest of the western world. I think America has been given a bum rap. We can live next door to them without any real problems. That very trust is which I hope countries like the ones we serve in will someday understand. This is my hope. No I don't expect them to live the way we do over here.. it won't happen, nor will a government operate exactly the way ours does. 

However if it is good for them, in their way, done by their people - that is all we are trying to do for them. We'll do the lions share of the work, allowing the Afghan Army & Government to take credit and then they win, their people can trust them and support them, they can then police themselves under their own Islamic laws, they can become self sufficient... then our guys can come home. It will be 20 yrs or more for that country to right itself. It is difficult to comprehend an Islamic society based on western idealism of democracy, but it could happen. If it is not done there (Khandahar is the birthplace of Islam in Europe), then the hatred they have for the rest of the non Islamic world will spread within their culture and my children (and yours) will grow up living in fear due their hatred (hence the buzzword known as Terrorism). 

My kids may never know what the world was like in the days before 9/11. Upscale security, DNA documentation, restricted travel areas in the world... what will it be like for them? But can what our soldiers do over there now, ensure that the Canadian flag they will wear on their backpacks be respected all over the world in their future? I certainly hope so. Sure the army is a job that puts food on my family's table, but it is also the very backbone for me to hold my head up high when the eyes of the world are upon us. This is what I strive to be a part of, with hopes that my children will someday understand. I hope that you all too understand why I do what I do. You are all my friends. See you in six months. It's late, I'm tired and my brain is overworked right now I'm goin to bed. Just wanted to let everyone know how I'm feeling.

I hope that we hear more from MTS. Though I am against using armies for the sake of intimidation; talking is not always enough. The world is shrinking and Kandahar is part of my backyard.

[2020 Note: I have no idea where I got that letter from. I wonder what happened to MTS]

A mild preliminary rant

This is the place where I will put my rants and comments on the final years of the planet called Earth. Final years? Yes, I am not predicting the end of life as we know it in my lifetime or the next but that is certainly a possibility; and if human life is still around In The Year 2525, it likely will be in a form beyond our recognition. Politics, economics and human frailties will be found on this blog.