Rick Hillier's New Conservative Remembrance Day
Or is it New Conservative Remembrance Week now? Not that it matters. The American Holiday Season is coming up, the one that stretches Godiness from Thanksgiving to Christmas, so I guess we're just one upping them a bit and taking the Godiness forward from Remembrance Day Week celebrations right through to Easter.
Sheesh - keeping up with Americans in the Patriotism Department is as tedious as it is stupid, eh? If we don't watch it, they're going to have to invade us to get their God and apple pie back.
But if you were having any doubts about feeling like you'd had enough of the whole damn thing (Remembrance Forever AND a Day), read this:
Hillier'sEgoCastsShadowOverWarDead
A smattering of applause snowballed after Rabbi Reuven Bulka, the honorary chaplain for the Dominion Command, urged thousands gathered at Ottawa's National War Memorial to chant "We love our troops."Canada's top soldier couldn't contain a broad grin as the crowd applauded the country's men and women in uniform.
When asked later if he'd ever seen such an outpouring of support, Gen. Rick Hillier replied, "Not in this country, that's for sure."
Hm... "Not in this country, that's for sure."
I dunno about you, but I think that's just about the crassest utterance by a Canadian public figure since... Well, gee... Let's have a contest - shall we? Starting with Rabbi Reuven Bulka urging the Remembrance Day crowd on the Hill to chant "We love our troops".
In the meantime, somebody remind General Hillier who pays his six figure salary, please.
And don't even bother with a reminder of who actually paid for his freedom (not to mention, healthcare, education and, in his case, spiffy new duds, haircuts, meals, lodging, etc etc) and the whole point of Remembrance Day. He's clearly forgotten - along with most of our elected officials.
Oh, and, Lest We Forget - before the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan became a War, WE (and by WE, I mean, Bush Inc) invaded it. I mean, I'm not saying we're Germany to its Poland or anything, but still - a nod to the actual facts would be nice every once in a while.
"Not in this country" indeed.
