Right-To-War
I read a great comment the other day on one of those right-to-war blogs. The blog is:
and the original entry was lifted from:
and the comment is:
"How many Canadian right-wing bloggers have been killed in combat over there? My understanding is that they're badly under-represented because they don't love their country. They're not real Canadians, of course. I guess we can thank the internet for this pathetic generation of unpatriotic ingrates."
Posted by: Crabgrass at August 29, 2007 2:24 PM
Basically (if you don't like clicking on links) the entry questions why all of the Canadian soldiers who have died in Afghanistan are white and male (well, sure they are - if you aren't going to count the female death and the two black deaths) and then goes on pretty much to complain about how immigrants just aren't being very Canadian anymore/these days/now that they aren't all white.
Uh... hunh? No, no, no. As a fourth generation Canadian (with, like - 40 years between each generation, too), let me interject, here. It's not the immigrants who aren't being very Canadian - it's the right-to-war bloggers. Canadian is NOT invading other countries and attemping to impose our Essential Canadianness on the inhabitants. (Essential Canadianness being something we can't even define ourselves without pointing south and saying, "At least we're not THAT" - which, all in all, is better'n being THAT...)
Canadian, rather, is welcoming/inviting/soliciting people from other countries to come here and pick up the economic/birthing slack created by our developedness. And you won't find ANY rich white Canadian males enlisting in the army here. You won't even find right-to-war bloggers enlisting in the army here. What you'll find, mostly, are economically deprived Atlantic Canadians enlisting in the army while right-to-war bloggers (from the West, most particularly), bitch about unfair transfer payments, Eastern Canada unemployment statistics, and now - immigrants not enlisting in the Canadian Army to go fight the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Oh, and by the way, right-to-war bloggers, "immigrants" come in a variety of shapes and colours, these days. Income levels, too. The stereotype of the noble poor European has given way to the reality of the the latte-drinking wealthy developer from one of those countries where you can only get rich being rich already swinging deals on his cellphone over lunch in Yorkville.
Update: Here's another great comment on the same entry. If this comment doesn't make you feel like a proud Canadian, well, maybe you should take out American citizenship or something (The comment is in response to the question from the right-to-war blog owner as to why he is still there, commenting):
"Why am I still here? I told you, this place is hilarious! The inside of a right-wing mind is such a wonderful, magical place. Like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory... but on acid.
And, I am leading by example. I don't support the war, so, I am enjoying some nice martinis, voting for Jack Layton, and feeling guilty for being a white male heterosexual. I might hit a gay bar or two if I have time. I'll send them your love (figuratively, not literally)."
Posted by: The Self-Loathing Multiculturalist at August 30, 2007 11:30 AM
As someone who doesn't support the war, either, I think I'll vote for Jack Layton next go 'round, too. Why don't you join me and we'll make it an Essentially Canadian thing.
