There is nothing wrong with being a Peacekeeping nation

In all the hullabaloo surrounding military deployment, equipment scandals and negative PR, we Canadians have been fed the line that if we talk about the problems then somehow we do not support the military.  I am here to tell you that I support the Canadian military... just not the clowns we have running it.    That includes the politicos who seem to think that the military consists of lead soldiers that they can move around the sand box.  It includes the bureaucratic mandarins who think that the military is just another government department that can be played with.  It includes the senior officers who think that sucking up to the politician-of-the-day will win them some special favours.  It includes all other ranks that seem to think that the military has some special status in Canada so they can do no wrong, even when they do wrong.  And finally it includes you and me, who keep quiet because we don't want to be accused of not supporting the military.

When did peacekeeping become a bad word in Canada?  The two words used to be synonymous.  Since the 1950s, Canadians have been involved in 34 peacekeeping missions around the world.  Since that time over 120 Canadians have lost their lives serving these missions.

Peacekeeping is not the kiddy's table of military involvement.  It is tough, dirty and honourable.  It does not deserve the rap that it has been getting recently.

It is time to rethink the role that our military plays in the world.  We cannot compete with the U.S. or Russian or China when it come to peace-making or waging war, but we can be and have always been strong peacekeepers.