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Author
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Topic: A reflection from a Canadian for Canadians
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Werner Molders
JAG
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posted 09-12- 12:55 AM
   
The western world will always remember September 11th 2001, along with December 7th 1941, September 1st 1939 and other dates as ones "that will live in infamy". Living in Western Canada today I felt quite helpless but after some time to reflect I think we have to take a hard look at ourselves and heavily temper any patriotic backslapping. Here's why.Things we should be proud of today:
-Our country's airports remained open to flights that were too close to their US destinations to turn back, but could not enter US airspace. A couple hundred of these flights I've learned.
-Hospitals in Ottawa and Toronto are treating wounded from NYC and DC.
-People are coming out in droves to donate blood for use in treating the wounded.
-Chretien didn't make a complete ass of himself on National TV, and offered the full assistance of Canadian government ministrys and departments such as the military, the RCMP (state police for those who don't know), Ministry of Finance and others. There are, however, serious reasons to be ashamed and moved to act locally while thinking not just continentally but globally
-The Chretien government is faltering when it comes to renewing continental security arrangements.
-Parliament Hill was very poorly defended today during a bomb threat. but most of all -OUR COUNTRY IS BEING USED AS A HUGE HOLE INTO THE UNITED STATES! THIS MUST STOP! We caught Ahmed Ressam, but how many have slipped by? Far too many! There are many ways this could be dealt with but that isn't the point - our security both economically, militarily and physically rests in strong cooperation with the United States and their military and security agencies. Remember September 11th! Most importantly, make sure you're MPs remember September 11th! I don't care if you support the NDP, Liberals, Bloc Quebecois, Tories, DRC, Canadian Alliance or none of the above - national security and our defense budget must be made a priority or else our current position as a major liability to the Americans is going to have serious implications on the future of our country. Somehow, I just don't feel like cheering at the Molson ads today. Respectfully submitted, Werner IP: Logged |
Werner Molders
JAG
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posted 09-12- 10:44 AM
http://www.ctvnews.com/content/publish/slim/Story807897.htm . IP: Logged |
Jerry
Pilot
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posted 09-12- 10:52 AM
Werner, just because American borders are a seive shouldn't cause you any guilt. Hell, millions of Mexicans come here illegally every year! The terriorists probably picked Canada rather than Mexico so they wouldn't have to swim across.  IP: Logged |
Werner Molders
JAG
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posted 09-12- 11:14 AM
Trouble is Jerry that it doesn't have to be that way, and I'm not dreaming of an idyllic situation either - the bungling abilities of the RCMP and CSIS (equiv. to CIA) are incredible, and at least in the case of the RCMP have been the subject of a number of public inquiries over the years. The fact is that our government is starving both those two agencies and the military for funds - I'm happy that our government has offered unconditional support of the US, but I don't know what good our four dozen or so CF-18s are going to be. Perhaps our fleet of a dozen or so Halifax-class frigates? What about four mothballed UK subs that makes up our fleet (bought by Canada for $500K each - what a steal!). Hell security is so pathetic that two years ago I walked onto the restricted area of our main Atlantic base and took an entire roll of film. When I get a chance I'll post a picture that has Canada's entire sub fleet in it, complete with barnacles, rust, oil booms, scaffolding and sump pumps. Heck I might even post the whole roll, perhaps our resident weapons experts can tell me what a big bomb-like thing with radioactive warnings stencilled on it really is. Back to our subs though, the things look like black U-Boats, they're that old. Obviously a big beefy military isn't the (only) answer to preventing these terrorist attacks (better intelligence is!) but even there Canada falls down on the job. "Oh the cold war is over, slash CSIS' budget"This hole could be plugged to a great extent if our government got its priorities straight. Like the US, we need to treat this as if it were a war. Werner [This message has been edited by Werner Molders (edited 09-12-2001).] IP: Logged | |
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