I have not posted in a year, why, you may ask. Because, I shall reply.
In February 2023 when I posted last we had moved off our boat and into a small cottage on my brothers property. The reason we did that was because my wife had a stroke and living on the boat was no longer feasible. Since that time we have had further health challenges amid attempts to sell the boat, all in all no time to write.
I shall try to do better. The post just previous to this one is the start of that attempt.
Writing in the Canadian Military Journal Alan Okros, a professor at Royal Military College, apparently states that the military will never escape its harmful practices (whatever they are) unless it can move beyond an identity that prioritizes “violence and aggression, institutional unity and hierarchy.” Dr. Okros, an ex Canadian Naval Officer, apparently does not understand those are the essential ingredients to an effective fighting force. This is not unexpected since Dr. Okros is an adherent to critical race theory and specializes in advising the Forces in this and other countries in DEI, diversity, equity and inclusion.
One is reminded of Kipling’s poem Tommy "Yes, making mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep... For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that an' Chuck him out, the brute! But it's Saviour of his country, when the guns begins to shoot!" and "For it's "guns this" and "guns that," and "chuck 'em out, the brutes," But they're the "Savior of our loved ones" when the thugs begin to loot."
Then the there is the Margaret Atwood quote,“Soldiers in peacetime are superfluous: celebrated once a year for something they once were, avoided in the here and now for what they have become.” What have they become, she fails to say.
Professor Okros would have our military become a woke institution, incapable of actually go to war, as General Schwarzkopf said. “A professional soldier understands that war means killing people, war means maiming people, war means families left without fathers and mothers”. In order to undertake that level of damage a soldier must be aggressive, relatively violent and at one with the unit and command.
It turns out that Professor Okros need not worry, the government and high command has accepted his formulation, the current Canadian soldier has nothing to fight with and the government neglects its NATO commitments. Command is only worried about climate change, LED lighting and less wasteful water taps.
Oh, how far we have fallen.
Vlad and the stones
Vlod lived on the property claimed to be property owned by to Vlad, Vlad was a collector of big stones that he used to threaten the other neighbours and to protect himself against rivals. His collection of big stones grew to big to be kept at Vlad’s house so he began to store them in Vlod’s house. Vlad and Vlod had a falling out and Vlod said that the area around his house was his not Vlad’s and by the way he was keeping the big stones that Vlod had put in his house.
Vlad’s rivals also had collections of big stones which they preferred should only belong to the big boys not the little kids like Vlod. So they met with Vlad and promised not to collect more big stones if he did the same. They also convinced all the little kids that collecting big stones was a bad idea and they should get rid of the stones they already had or at least promise not to use them. Vlod was not happy with this turn of events has he saw the stones as insurance against Vlad’s bullying him.
Vlad, Sam, John and Paddy met with Vlod and promised to protect him from anyone trying to bully him or take his property if he would give up the stones. Since Sam was the biggest boy on the block and had a gang to back him Vlod agreed.
Things went well for a time then Vlad decided that Vlod’s cabbage patch actually was on his property so he put a fence around it. Since Vlod had no stones he could do nothing about it and Sam and the boys did nothing so Vlod decided that a collection of medium stones would be a good idea and he set about collecting them.
Then Vlad decided that the very productive vegetable garden in Vlod’s yard was also his so he started to take it over throwing little stones at Vlod. Vlod took exception and began throwing little bigger stones back at Vlad, Vlad, taken by surprise as he though Vlod had no stones, and only getting a small bit of the garden started throwing medium stones. Vlod responded. Sam and the boys made promises to help but only gave Vlod little stones at first and Paddy gave no stones at all as he had none. Paddy complained to the homeowners association.
Vlad pushed on. Vlod pushed back. Vlad threatened to throw a big stone.
Here’s the question, since Vlad, Sam, John and Paddy promised to protect Vlod from any bullying and Vlad reneged on the promise should Sam, John and Paddy step up and turn on Vlad or simply provide Vlod with ever bigger and more stones but not the big stone to see if Vlod could chase Vlad off? Further, since Sam was backed by a gang, should the gang join in to make sure Vlad stayed on his property and not try to take others. And why was Paddy involved in any of this since Paddy had no stones in the game?
For those few of you who are following this blog I have an explanation for my absence. My wife convinced me that at my advanced age a Carribean cruise would be just the ticket. So, of course we went. During the course of said cruise I became afflicted with what I thought were kidney stones. However, on arrival back in Canada we discovered that I had kidney failure due to hydronephrosis (look it up, I did). This resulted in a hospital stay and two surgeries, the second yet to be performed.
As a result of all this kerfuffle I am now fully retired and bored out of my tree. Expect a more consistent writing in this blog. My target in the future will be the inadequacy of the Canadian health system.
However, for the moment, I would like to comment on the election results in Australia and the lessons for Canadians.
The outcome of this contest was that the incumbent Liberal (read faux conservative) government was narrowly defeated by Labor (NDP/Liberal) resulting in a minority government supported by the Greens and other minor parties. Labor is led by a fellow that thinks the answer to inflation is higher wages for all and the Greens lost no time in demanding closure of Australia’s major export commodity, coal.
Australia should be looking forward to interesting times.
Writing in The Conservative Woman, James Allan notes that,
“There was no enthusiastic move to Labor. In fact, both major parties scored woefully low first preference counts. In any country with a first-past-the-post voting system both big parties would be reeling. There’s a reason why only Australia and one small South Pacific nation uses preferential voting: because it works as a protection racket for the two big parties.
The only way to show your displeasure with your own side of politics – because you can’t even stay home when there’s also compulsory voting – is to preference the other side.”
And there lies the lesson, we may not like first past the post but the outcome of elections at least, most of the time, gives a strong voice to one party, even if you heartily dislike the winner and it gives minor parties a chance of making a difference or even becoming the Opposition if not the government.
Minority governments do result but they are never longed lived. Mainly due to politicians over-arcing desire for power.
The Australian result also puts the lie to compulsory voting, there is no way to show your displeasure with all the choices, you must show up and pick one or in the case of preferential ranking, hold your nose and list several.
Bitching about the outcome is usual but at least with no compulsory voting you can tell the non-voter to piss off when your side wins.
The weasel announced today that he was introducing sanctions against Russia to fight tyranny and authoritarianism, Can you spell hypocrisy?
This announcement again demonstrated the elitist penchant of the weasel, Klaus would be so proud of this two faced donkey pit. He has no idea how stupid this sounds or how it demonstrates his lack of self awareness or his lack of empathy. So much for sunny ways.
