In Flanders Fields

Political Animal 162 Comments

 In Flanders fields the poppies blow 
 Between the crosses, row on row, 
  That mark our place; and in the sky  
 The larks, still bravely singing, fly 
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw,
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

–John McRae, Ypres 1915

Stephen Harper
actually announced
he wants to
increase
military presence
in our cities.�
Canadian cities.�
Soldiers with guns.�
In our cities.�
In Canada.�
We did not
make this up.

– committee to re-elect
Paul Martin, 2006

 

Choose your Canada.

162 Replies to “In Flanders Fields”

  1. I just saw the Duffy clip. Whoa. Is it possible the MSM is starting to come out of the ether?
    Watching MSM when Lieberals are in power…worthless.
    Watching MSM on cable for an election call…$50.00 / month
    Watching MSM biting a Lieberal in the ass because he had it coming……. priceless.
    Give the Libs enough rope…..
    Maybe the Libs thought the gravy train was never going to pull into the station. Looks good on the lot of them.
    Just my 2 cents.
    Randy

  2. Health Minister Ujal Dosanjh(sp?) said on the local Vancouver news that Paul Martin had personally approved all 12 ads and that he couldn’t see what all the fuss was about.

  3. Way at the beginning of this thread, Colin asked for input from military folks.
    Life in the military is not a ‘bed of roses’ but I would like to think that we serve the Canadian public with pride and distinction wherever we may be. Personally, I think my contributions to Search and Rescue have been the most rewarding of my career. As for what I have done, what I have seen and the people I have met from coast to coast and into the Arctic, I wouldn’t change one bloody thing.
    This email I sent off to the Liberals expresses my feelings…
    “Are you guys completely daft or just severely lacking in common sense? Your recent attack ad regarding Mr. Harper and his plan for military folks in Canadian cities, now pulled from your website but still available elsewhere, is simply beyond reason.
    I would venture a guess, that with my four brothers and I having been raised in a military environment with our father having served over 25 years, the votes of ourselves, our spouses and our children are now lost to you. And I�ll even go out on a limb here and consider that my 30 years of service in the Air Force to God, Queen and Country amount to squat!!! And I guess my dear wife�s three six-month tours of duty to sandy places didn�t mean much to you guys either.
    Are the proud men and women of the Canadian Forces, with our terrible guns, to be hidden from view only to be pulled out of seclusion when the Liberals, in all their wisdom, deem it necessary?
    Perhaps we should just be parked on the sidewalks of Toronto with our shovels awaiting the Liberal word to act.
    Thank you. You have made my decision, and that of many others, crystal clear.”

  4. Cal2…
    You’re forgetting the Manitoba floods in 1997. The military did more good there than anyone outside of Manitoba will ever understand.
    Thank you.

  5. The Liberal attack ads may have worked last time, but the Canadian public is waking up to the old addage: “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me”.

  6. As any good Liberal is aware the military ad was meant to outline the serious flaws in the CPC plan to re-equip our military.
    The center of the universe does not object to a strong military, as long as they are equiped with the most advanced technology for frozen precipitation remediation.
    It is obviously not the military the LPC and their core constituents object to, it is those nasty guns that have been causing all those problems in the GTA.
    New teflon snow shovels for all our military!!!!
    Military units will be first dispatched to the Jane-Finch area of Toronto in a two pronged Liberal effort to deal with the pressing national issue of winter and increase a sense of inclusion by assisting members of the empoverished Jamaican community to free their Cadillac Escalade’s from their icy repose.
    The LPC Forever!!!
    Syncro

  7. Let’s be clear. The press are a bunch of assholes – they go to the National Press Club, drink like a fish, and decide who’s cool and who’s not. I’ve been there and seen it. They have collectively decided Harper is IN. Obviously even Mike Puffy (ex-Liberal hack) recognizes this.

  9. Jaymeister,
    As an American, I would catch references to American politics on these things a little quicker than most. I haven’t seen one defense of the scandal-tainted pieces of the American right.
    My guess is Canada’s MSM has figured it out: the Grits need a new leader. As such, they’ll slam Martin as much as they can, as often as they can, from here on out.
    We saw a similar thing down here in 2004. Outside of Rather’s memo creation, the MSM pretty much went through the motions. My guess is a lot of them didn’t want President Kerry getting in the way of Hillary 2008.
    Then again, it is past midnight, and the caffeine is wearing off.

  10. My transcript:
    Mike Duffy: Can I ask you a question? Who conceived of this ad, and what was in people�s minds when you would go that low? This was like something like hinting that the Canadian forces or something like what we saw in Chile with Pinochet.
    John Duffy: Michael, let me answer that question perhaps with another question. Tonight four leaders debated the future of Canada in the province of Quebec. They debated child care, they debated a woman�s right to choose, they debated the future of our country and national unity, and we have now spent about 10 minutes talking about nothing but an ad that never ran. And I think�
    Mike Duffy: and you�re asking why, you�re asking why I raise this? Because this has to do with integrity, it has to do with the people who would want to lead our country, this is a perfectly legitimate issue to be raised by journalists. It was raised there, we have every right to raise it, we have a public responsibility to raise it, you were in here earlier when we were off the air on a commercial break, trying to intimidate me into not going back to that ad �
    John Duffy: Michael�
    Mike Duffy: We will not be intimidated, we will do our jobs as journalists. Here�s Gilles Duceppe.

  11. I’ve uploaded it to Google video, but not sure if it will be approved for publishing… I’ll let folks know if it shows up…

  12. First off, I would like to thank all members of the Canadian Armed Forces for the job they do. You get my respect and support.
    Kate, the In Flanders Fields poem always brings a tear to my eye. Thank for the reminder of past Canadian soldiers who served the ultimate sacrifice.
    Jaymiester, I don’t want to accuse you personally, but when the Adscam corruption was revealed, I heard from the moral relativist crowd that all governments were corrupt and that was the price of bureaucracy, just trying to save Canada, so what if a few insiders lined their pockets relative to the size of the Federal budget, blah blah blah . Now, are you are saying all politician must be held to a higher standard. That you have to do what is morally right, not just what is legal or what they can get away with?

  13. None of you can imagine this at all, particularly not PM’s people. I came home from work one day, over the hill to watch the sunset on the ocean and to my surprise there was a warship sitting in the harbor. My sleepy little town has a warship in it’s harbor. This was just days after 911. Can you imagine what I was thinking at the time?
    Canada’s Liberals tout themselves as so much better than GW Bush. You aren’t. You are worse. At least Clinton knew his enemy. Canada still thinks it doesn’t have any – even though bin Laden specifically named Canada on his list of countries to destroy.
    A Liberal who missed that after 911 and made the statement that Kate quoted needs to have their privates twisted into a tight knot. Can you believe that? No, Mr. Liberal, what I can’t believe is your lies.
    Mr. Harper, please increase our security….and you can start by kicking the anti-Canadian Democrats out of office. Whoops. Did I say Democrat? I meant Liberal….whoops, did I capitalize Liberal? I meant small ‘l’ liberal….

  14. D.J.
    Regardless of country, I was just making a general observation that bloggers tend to break on ideological and party lines when it comes to which scandals they want to pursue or which reports they want to believe. And while everybody has an agenda, and in cyberspace we are generally pretty transparent about it, it does mean that you have to still have to work pretty hard to find truth out here. One thing the Left and Right agree upon is that the MSM is useless.
    (And you’ll have to explain to me how it is that Viacom and General Electric are so keen on having liberal politicians in power.)

  15. As a serving member of the Canadian Forces, who lives in a city with soldiers, sailors and airmen as part of the citizenry I am disgusted by the fear mongering appearance of that piece. What is even more troubling about it is that I am also a FEDERAL employee. My employer has smeared my image and that of my peers, or at the very least has attempted to. The vilification of the United States for political gain is one thing – the vilification of a strictly volunteer segment of your own population is just abhorrent. I can only imagine how this will help recruiting… I’m sure people will be banging down the doors to join now.
    I come from a proud tradition of military service in my family. Some of may even recognize my last name from a certain “scandal” years ago. The people of the CF are very proud of the job we do. And we’re citizens alongside all Canadians in almost every town and city in the country – and yes we even have weapons. The people of this great community (Victoria) must be frightened daily by the warships in the harbour and the Helicopters in the sky.
    Honestly, by posting this I could be seen as somehow insubordinate. I want to make something very clear in this regard – As a member of the CF, I am bound to serve my country no matter what government is in power. I have, in fact, served my entire career under a Liberal government without complaint for the jobs we are told to do – and have done so with pride. All members will do what they are told to do by the government – it’s our job. (NOTE: I doubt the leadership of the CF is particularly happy about the ad either).
    But I can vote too. And already have. I look most foward to the results – no matter the outcome.
    Lucas Kenward
    Petty Officer 2nd Class
    Victoria, BC

  16. Hey cal2, the Lie-beral thieves will scatter like rats, exposed to daylight for the first time, to the four corners of the earth, where our proud military should be given right of first refusal to track them down and bring them back to face justice.

  17. qwerty,
    I have NEVER given the Liberals a pass on any of their scandals. I am quite happy to see the country rid of them, even if I’m not a Harper fan. Granted, I do believe that power corrupts, despite the best of intentions. But the Chretien/Martin Liberals took corruption to a new level by Canadian standards and have to face the music, politically and legally. The only thing I take issue with is that I should take it on faith that a Harper government will be clean. Maybe it will, but they have to show me. Politicians of any stripes don’t deserve the benefit of the doubt. If they are true to their word, I’ll give them credit. I call’em as I see ’em.

  18. Thanks Matt for posting a copy of transcription here! I just shared it with my Tory buddy from Calgary and his reaction was, “Wow!”.

  19. (As I said on the Rosemary Thompson’s CTV blog…)
    I SAW THE CANADIAN FORCES ATTACK AD ON THE ***LIBERAL WEBSITE***.
    Why have the Liberals removed the advertisement from their website where they implied Stephen Harper was conspiring to lead the Canadian Forces into a military dictatorship by, somehow, controlling the second-largest country in the world with 100-regular (Canadian) soldiers and 400-(Canadian) reservists in our largest cities?
    I thought Stephen Harper said he was doing this to provide for Canadian protection in the event of a disaster. You know, Katrina, earthquake, tsunami, ice storm, avian flu, terrorism. Real things that are happening around the world. I was a Canadian infantry reservist (*snowed in* in Port Alberni, BC in fact!) when my reserve unit was deployed in Victoria helping seniors, shut-ins, and others during the 1996 snow storm.
    Imagine how surprised I am to realize our real purpose was not to defend Canada from tyranny like against Hitler and Tojo as the far braver and more heroic members of my old unit did in years past, but to strike terror into Victorians by oppressing them with our “guns”.
    Do Paul Martin and his fear-mongering Liberal strategists deserve to lead our amazing country? Or is there a better mainstream alternative?
    STAND UP FOR CANADA

  21. Jaymeister,
    Good point on the blog bias.
    I’m not sure which side of the border you call home, but your question on Viacom and GE was a classic question from the economic left. I mean that not in a perjorative sense, althought I disagree with the economic left on a number of things, but only to make a point that, perhaps, is being missed by the economic left in general (and certainly in Canada). American elections are not about economic philosophy anymore. One could argue they haven’t been about economic philosophy since 1952 (when Ike brought the Republicans on board to the New Deal welfare state in general). Or perhaps 1972 (when Nixon dropped any negative reference to Johnson’s welfare state expansion – the “Great Society” – during his, Nixon’s, re-election campaign). It certainly hasn’t been an issue since 1996, when Clinton jettisoned any real opposition to Ronald Reagan’s oblique criticism of expanding government (“The era of big government is over”).
    American elections are largely decided on social, lifestyle issues now, and here, the higher-ups at Viacom and GE, being mainly from the New York City/Los Angeles set, are in full agreement with American liberals. To give you an idea of who far American politics has left the economic debate behind, the most politically divided income group during the 1990s were the voters who made over $100,000 a year.
    The good news for conservatives is that no one hates the rich anymore; the good news for liberals is that as a result, the rich don’t hate them anymore.
    At least that’s what’s happening down here.

  22. When half of the B.C. interior was on fire 3 years back, the Canadian Military did an excellent job in several communities. We B.C.’ers were damned glad to have them here.
    Paul martin would prefer armed Jamaican gangs
    in the cities instead. No thanks, Paulie, I
    prefer our soldiers, they’re wlecome here anytime. Thanks again for your help.

  23. Jaymeister, the “all the parties are the same” is a fabrication on the part of the corrupt. They are not. All governments make their share of mistakes, no question, but this is not the same as drawing moral equivalencies and smearing all with the same ethical brush.
    I’ll ask you to cast your mind back to the Monica Lewinski days of Clinton, when every night on the nightly talk shows we heard that “all politicians do it”..
    It was like the twilight zone.
    Jimmy Carter???
    Ronald Reagan??
    In the oval office, no less?????
    Of course not “everyone of them” had affairs on the side. But if you could convince enough unthinking sheeple that they were “all the same”, you could keep your lowest common denominator leader in office.
    That’s what you’re hearing when people dismiss corruption as “just politics as usual”. It’s not.
    It’s just a sign of how far Canadian ethics have decayed.

  26. Interesting perspecitve, D.J.
    But I highly doubt the higher-ups at GE and Viacom sit in their plush offices and spend the day fretting over social and lifestyle issues. That isn’t why the shareholders are paying them the big bucks.
    (BTW, I’m on the north side of the border.)
    Sorry for taking the thread off topic, Kate.

  27. Does anyone have a copy of the Liberal ad posted to a site yet? It’s been taken off the Liberal site, and I’d like to see what the big huff is about.
    Thanks

  29. qwerty,
    I hope along with you.
    Kate,
    Where did I ever say that “all parties are the same”? I said “power corrupts”. I made no moral equivalencies, and said that the Liberals were off the scale of what we have experienced in Canada. Why is it that every time I make a point that’s not 100% fawning over Harper, you respond as if I’m defending the Liberals? You obviously don’t read what I write over at my place unless it has a TrackBack to you.
    To clarify: I don’t consider corruption as acceptable in any way, shape or form. It has to ber dealt with severely, and I hope some Liberals rot in a cell for a while. But recognize that human nature has a long track record. I’ll bet you a steak dinner that there will be some sort of scandal in the Tory government over the next four years. Wanna take me up on that?

  32. Wow that Puffy opening a can of whoop ass on John Duffy was worth the trouble to find. I have never ever seen a Journalist as hot on the air before, that was Priceless!

  33. Does anyone remember the fact the everyone was telling us that no one wanted a Christmas election? Well let me say that if this is what happens during a winter election, bring it on! I am middle age and it has been a long time since there has been this much shit hitting the fan during a federal election. Maybe this is when every election should be held.

  34. Well, this might be alarmist, but this ad shows where the liberal mind is at.
    I wouldn’t be surprised to see PMPM declare the war measures act and suspend the election results.
    After all, Canada has been threatened by terrorists.
    Trudeau had no problem doing it for the few terrorists in Quebec.

  35. Not to dismiss Col. McRae, but I believe this quote, from Canada’s greatest General, perhaps contrasts best the hate and despotism spewed by PMPM.
    “Under the orders of your devoted officers in the coming battle you will advance or fall where you stand facing the enemy. To those who will fall I say ‘You will not die, but step into immortality. Your mothers will not lament your fate, but will be proud to have borne such sons. Your name will be revered forever and ever by your grateful country, and God will take you unto Himself’ “.
    General Sir Arthur Currie � special order to the Canadian Corps � France, 27 Mar 1917

  36. UN-CANADIAN EMOTIONS

    Or: The Duffy on Duffy Incident Last week I touched on the momentum Canada�s Conservative Party, and now almost one week later and with the benefit of the two remaining debates behind us, that momentum is sustained. Stephen Harper�s conservatives…

  37. this is the most powerful post i have ever seen . thank you Kate ,from the grandson of an Ypres veteran.

  38. Well, there goes the CF Liberal vote. [/sarcasm]
    The Libs don’t care who they’re attacking now. The rabies has gone terminal. If you’re not voting Liberal, you’re fair game.
    I reckon that support for the Libs is a touch low amongst CF personel. So… DEMONIZE THEM!!!! Attempt to win votes amongst recent immigrants who have had the good fortune to escape police states. Remember, EVERY VOTE COUNTS!!!
    Yes New-Canadians rescued by Liberals, armies are armies, they have guns and thus are evil. The CF under Harper will act like the Tonton Macoute in Duvalier’s Haiti. Only Paul Martin can keep the General Staff in check.
    So Harper would use the CF to declare martial law. Armed Soldiers In The Cities!
    Wow, that Harper, he’s a scarey one.

  39. I think the liberals are deliberately throwing these outragous ads out and then withdrawing them the same way lawyers in court make an outragous statement and then withdraw it. The judge tells the jury to disegard the comment but there is always an impact. My concern is that Canadians will not recognize the sleazy behavior for what it is— a drive by shooting. Is there some way to ban —???

  40. UN-CANADIAN EMOTIONS

    Or: The Duffy on Duffy Incident Last week I touched on the momentum Canada�s Conservative Party, and now almost one week later and with the benefit of the two remaining debates behind us, that momentum is sustained. Stephen Harper�s conservatives…

  42. Canadian Forces site:
    “The place of Militia units in their local communities must not be discounted as an anachronism or ‘surplus’ force structure. As the Regular Army becomes more concentrated in fewer bases distant from Canada’s population base, the often-touted “footprint in the community” role of the Reserves must be maintained as no less than a core activity of the CF. Indeed, community based presence of the military is more important now than at any time since the Second World War. Decisions made affecting that presence must not compromise the balance between short-term operational requirements and the longer-term public policy interests.”
    http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/Reports/Fraser/recommendation_e.asp

  43. Jaymeister said “The problem now is what will this side of the blogosphere do now?”
    First, get behind the NDP. Push them into second party status. The country can ill afford to have either the Bloc or Blockhead Dithers as Leader of the Opposition.
    Then, push your leader to declare that, wherever possible, the NDP will attempt to be involved in the decision-making process by trying to find ways in which the Conservatives and the NDP can come to consensus. The country needs healing right now, not partisanship. The Conservatives won’t be putting forward their more controversial platforms until they’ve proven they can get the job done on things which don’t divide Canadians. Jack has the chance to be a positive contributor to that process.
    Third, listen to your fellow Canadians, including the Conservatives. You think Canadians distrust the Conservatives? They distrust you more. If you do succeed in achieving third or even second party status in this election, at the expense of the Liberals, it will only be because 13 years of corruption, scandals, and deceit have finally caught up to them. This is your opportunity to put forward a positive vision for the country.
    Finally, at every meeting, every event where you see Jack, follow the example of the little old lady, who told him to stop tearing down the Conservatives. Having ideas different than you is not dangerous. Foisting ill-considered ideas on Canadians, and intimidating your opponents so they
    don’t protest, is. If the Conservatives are wrong on an issue, say so. But don’t assume they’re wrong just because you disagree.

  45. UN-CANADIAN EMOTIONS

    Or: The Duffy on Duffy Incident Last week I touched on the momentum of Canada�s Conservative Party, and now almost one week later and with the benefit of the two remaining debates behind us, that momentum is sustained. Stephen Harper�s…

  46. Has anybody else seen the piece on The CTV website here:
    http://www.ctv.ca/mini/election2006/
    Ujjal Dosanjh when questioned about the ads and specifically the military ad said he had viewed them and…..
    “These are not negative ads, they are factual and about values…”
    He went on to say that PMPM was aware of the ads and had approved of them……
    “He’s the leader of the party. These are Liberal ads about facts and values…”
    Meanwhile John (man did that fat little fella ever bitch slap me) Duffy has a different take….
    “This is not an ad the Liberal Party is running and it can’t be called that”
    PMPM steps to the microphone to clarify the situation…..
    “All political parties have ads that are not played. This was one that was not played.”
    This brings to mind some questions.
    When is an ad not an ad???
    When said ads have been played, have they really??
    What is the definition of ad??
    What is the definition of played???
    What are facts and values???
    Did PMPM recieve strategy advice from his buddy Bill Clinton at the Montreal Environmental Summitt ala “I did not have sex with that
    woman”?
    Why was Ujjal Dosanjh on point??
    Do these guys have no shame???
    Syncro

  47. What’s the chance of Mike Duffy getting an interview with Scott(Where have you been?)Reid?Would like to personally thank Scott and John Duffy for there help in the Conservative campaign thus far.Keep up the good work.

  48. Newsflash: The Liberals only pulled the anti-military ad in English.
    http://andrewcoyne.com/2006/01/bien-trange.php
    They still raise the specter of the Tories imposing some sort of martial law or the War Measures Act in their French Ads!
    Even after having been savaged by Mike Duffy and the Globe over these ads – they’re still up and running!!!
    The Liberals just don’t get it.
    You don’t attack the men and women of the Canadian military who put their lives on the line for our country. You don’t suggest that our beloved peacekeepers are brownshirts!
    They should be crucified over this!

  49. These Fiberal attack ads are NOT going to work this time folks.There desperation is fully evident now and they are starting to strike in any and all directions.Pray Harper and team stay on message. Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!!!!

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