Where are our new Canadians from China, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and the rest of Asia?
Sixty four of the 66 Canadian military personnel killed in Afghanistan since the start of the mission in 2002 are white Canadians. The other two are black Canadians.
There is something not right with this picture.
Walk in downtown Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal and you will be greeted with a glorious mosaic of cultures, mingling and mixing, sharing and caring, fighting for and defending all things Canadian.
Look at the queue of soldiers heading into a Hercules transport bound for Afghanistan – it is overwhelmingly white and male.
This stark contrast clearly illustrates that visible minorities are vastly under-represented in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Want minorities in the military then bring back conscription right across the colour line.
Is this a joke? hmmm.. maybe there’s more whites in the military? like there’s more whites in the Canadian population? no no. it must be that the brown people hate Canada and aren’t “freedom lovers”.
isn’t that why minorities are called minorities?
If you read enough internet posts by Canadian lefties it becomes obvious they are pleased when Canadian soldiers are killed. Even the dumbest among them (and that’s really dumb) knows they can’t come right out and say it, but it does become obvious.
My mother took note of this quite awhile back. In the World War, they had conscription in Canada to force the French to sign up and serve because they weren’t; even then they weren’t forced to fight. Maybe it is time for conscription again. The truth of the matter is, Canada is a free-ride for a lot of people, but defend it, nada.
You should compare the numbers of minorities killed in Iraq with the US armed services.
“http://icasualties.org/oif/ETHNICITY.aspx”
There seems to be a lot more minorities in the US forces then the Canadian forces. That leads to the question of why? What’s the fundamental difference between our two countries?
John West at 11:07 AM:
Great rant! Especially the last paragraph.
Hear hear hear hear hear. Thanks for posting that Kate.
Multiculturalism = hypocrisy = “I want all the benefits that your country has to offer without offering anything in return”
Kate never said more non-white soldiers should be killed in Afghanistan – only a Leftard could obviously twist words and their meaning so substandardly. The number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan should depict, percentage wise, the allocation of the different races serving in the military – is this so bloody hard to figure out.
I can never understand men who have a problem with women not fighting in a war – you all must be girlie-men to think this way.
All young men should spend their first year after high school graduation training for the military, and those who can’t stay in school until they graduate, should be scrubbing the toilets of those who have graduated until they become 18 and can then train for the military for a year – if women want to participate, they can.
JohnnyRingo says “Seems that Kate wants to see more Canadian soldiers killed, especially the immigrant soldiers.”
Nice try. What BS.
Truth hurts doesn’t it JohnnyRingo?
“Look at the queue of soldiers heading into a Hercules transport bound for Afghanistan – it is overwhelmingly white and male.”
Since women of all colors make up about 50% of our nation’s population,maybe some people here are missing the even much larger misrepresentation of demographics.
Seems to me feminists DEMAND equality of the sexes in almost every other niche of our society.
We do accept women in the army now….don’t we?
I have a strong suspicion that by the second generation, we will start to see a lot more variety in the Canadian military.
Once the kids learn about what our military has done and what it stands for (if the schools teach it which is another thread altogether), and once they see how lucky they are to be here, they will start to join.
I think another big reason, is that the majority of the minority population lives in the major centres, which are, for the most part, spoiled, self-centred, leftist, lazy and deluded. (have at that one).
Craig,
There are more minorities being killed in the US forces because there are greater amounts of minorities in the US forces.
In the US the armed forces is seen as a viable career alternative. There are also benefits such as medical, university tuition etc.
The US has made the armed forces a social program in itself. there are jobs and benefits that make it worthwhile. Canada has tried to starve the military. Very few young people would consider a career in the military. Even fewer Canadians see the military as a social program.
enough
How are you going to encourage military service among the children, when my kid’s principal told us after he was brutally kicked by some muslim kid and restrained the purp, that I was speaking military language to her and she would not allow that? That Canada was a peaceful country and no military language was allowed? Our youth is being indoctrinated from school age that flowers are good, rifles are bad and people in camo uniforms are bad as well. I am talking about 75% ethnic neighborhood… WAKE UP, CANADA! The commies are not at the gate – they are within the walls!
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.
It just makes me sick.
*Posted by: JWestphal at August 29, 2007 11:27 AM*
You’re right I should have read the article Kate linked to!
I ASSUmed that this was a reference to the same (plagiarized?) article that appeared in the Georgia Straight where they used the story to imply that the CF was a racist exclusionary organization and that the fact that the soldiers dying in Afghanistan was proof of that.
Since I ASSumed without checking Mea Culpa!
However … for those who were trying to make that BS case against our military… my first comment stands.
NorthBayTrappist: “I think another big reason is that the majority of the minority population lives in the major centres which are, for the most part, spoiled, self-centred, leftist, lazy and deluded.”
Yes, of course. Or in other cases educated, motivated, hard-working (and paying their taxes!), politically somewhere near the centre, following promising career paths, and keeping their respective heads screwed on straight.
Nobody like that will be heading over to Afghanistan any time soon either. Wouldn’t you say?
Given that there are only 65,000 in the entire Forces from Hillier down to the lowest pot washer, and given that soldiering is one more despised than whoring among the urban liberal population, it is no surprise that mostly old fashioned, non-urban types from places other than Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. White people, in other words.
Given that those three cities is where 90% of immigrants live, and given that you can go for an entire year or more without even seeing a CF vehicle or soldier in uniform in those cities, it is no surprise that immigrants and their born-in-Canada kids don’t sign up. Why would they? Their Canadian neighbors don’t. Probably would never even occur to them.
Thank you Pierre Turd-eau, AND Brian Moron-ey, AND Jean Cretin/Paul Martoon.
How can the children of immigrants understand Canadian history when it is being taught to them (for the most part) by teachers who don’t support our past military history, because they were taught by professors who (again for the most part) have no understanding of it themselves.
The battle between the surviving members of the RCAF and the historians at the War Museum is a good example. One idiot disqualified the position of the ex-bomber crew members because they weren’t ‘historians’. And the snot-nosed ‘kid’ at the Museum said they will take into consideration the wording recommended by the ex-RCAF, but the final decision will be their’s and their’s alone. Haven’t seen anyone look down their nose like that in a long time, but if I’d been there, I’d have slapped the pumped-up little twerp across his face.
Immigrants shouldn’t have to pass a test – teachers and professors should.
Also, immigrants have the Charter of Rights (and lawyers) to save them from all life’s ills. As far as they’re concerned, I expect they find the military redundant.
enough – your analysis is very good.
The US has made the military an honourable and desirable career. Its members are esteemed, praised, looked up to. The benefits of schooling, education, and ‘membership in a close, emotional and supportive community – is obvious and open.
Furthermore, the US military has a great focus on research; it wants you – not just as a physical thing, a ‘grunt’ but it wants you as a ‘mind’ and ‘heart’. There is a tremendous focus on research in the US military – not merely on machines, but medical, environmental, psychological.
It is considered a highly desirable and honourable profession. In Canada – Pearson turned the military into agents of the UN – policement or security guards. All the other attributes of a profession – such as education, research, a community – were lost. Trudeau and Chretien further demotied this ‘Security Guards’ to nothing, denying them equipment, training, facilities.
The war in Afghanistan and Harper’s committment to it – is changing the face and nature of the Canadian military – bringing it slowly, back to its former pre-Liberal stature. It will take time, but it’s thanks to Harper that the change is finally happening.
Now- to get rid of multiculturalism.
No, no, diversity is just something you use to put more gay couples on “Trading Spaces” or to shame the “non-victim” majority of Canadians into shutting up about this type of discrepancy . It’s not something you actually expect to work both ways and result in seeing new Canadians actually give to their country as much as they receive !
ET – All the other attributes of a profession – such as education, research, a community – were lost.
No, that’s not true. The CF mirrors the US military very closely in all of these areas. Unification did have a deleterious effect on the sense of community and comradeship in the services, but the need for professional development was never lost. And notwithstanding uninformed media reports to the contrary, the CF has always understood that its primary mission is combat. The vast majority of its resources and training were always dedicated to NATO and NORAD missions.
The real damage done by Pearson and his successors was to starve the CF of resources and support. Only international obligations kept them from eliminating the CF completely, or turning it into the sort of glorified Boy Scout troop ET describes. Chretien almost tripped over himself in his eagerness to disband the Airborne Regiment when the opportunity presented itself. All he needed was an excuse.
Yes, I accept and see your point, belisarius – I think that the CF self-view and the politician’s view of them are quite different.
As you note – they were grossly starved of equipment and resources – for essentially a full generation. That’s not something you can overcome in a few years. But the notion of the military as a ‘think tank’ is more of a US than Canadian notion. A LOT of research goes on in the US military – as I’m sure you know.
However, Harper has started the forward trend, and I hope that Canadians acknowledge and appreciate this – and give him a majority!
These sort of articles and ‘questions’ come up in pretty much any recent war/conflict/operation. I used to remember during the NATO air strikes in Kosovo we had some idiotic reporters on occasion asking the General giving the press conference/briefing why weren’t there any female pilots over there flying CF-18s. Never mind that joining the military is voluntary and that the mission is dangerous, why aren’t a certain amount of people of a certain race or religion or other minority?
The only positive thing I can think of with these type of stories is that it’s a slow news day and there isn’t something else to bitch about.
So Roy. Where were you Capt Nichola Goddard gave her life in a firefight for this country? If you are going to take shots at women,at least get the facts right! FYI…way back in ’79, I served with a gal who remustered OUT of the Air Force into the infantry. She loved it but failed. Why? She kicked the supreme living s**t out of her biased a**hole hand-to-hand instructor!!! Can’t have that now,can we? Tell you what Roy. Pick between a PO’d guy with gun, and a righteous PO’d female defending herself. I know which one I want at my back!
iberia says….
Why are all the Canadian soldiers being killed in Afghanistan white?”
It’s because the demographics of the Forces is mostly white. Or would you prefer the CAF to have an employment equity program where a certain percentage of military members have to be women, black, asian, native, or handicapped?
well iberia i guess you have’nt looked at tv lately or have tried to apply for a gov. job. those multicultural edicts are being foisted on whitey all the time. then theres the immigrants of convienience. in my opnion there should be a draft 2-3 years because the way things are going we are going to need the resources.
I would guess that over 99% of the 100,000+ Canadian war dead were white. We were once, until very recently, a virtually all-white nation.
WTF! I’ve just read the comments here and I realize the major problem with today’s society is reading comprehension. I mean the number of leftards… errr people who write “Kate said” when she only cut & pasted a portion of the article and gave the link.
As a former serving member of the forces, I can agree with the writer of the article. For whatever reason a tour or career in the military is or has not been a path to follow. Multiculturalism may be playing a part in that new immigrants are not coming here (in Canada) to become Canadians but rather hyphenated citizens that are just carrying on their old ways in a new location.
As a staunch, rabid, froathing, multicultural, leftist, I want to state, categorically, that I support conscription. Furthermore, I believe that, aside from medical reasons, there should be no exemptions whatsoever – not race, religion, or college. Marriage should be the only cause for exemption.
That way, all Canadians, not just poor, luckless white guys from Nova Scotia, can go and fight. Think of how wonderful it will be for our national morale, when Stephen Harper’s children become old enough to serve, and are sent off to difuse IED’s in Afghanistan. I’m sure he’ll be weeping with joy.
If you think Stephen Harper, and Mark Steyn, and David Frum understand civilizational survival now, imagine how much they appreciate and understand it, when their children come home missing an arm or a leg.
Yup, I agree, if we want people to truly appreciate the importance of participating in democratic societies, then we ought to be forced to defend it.
people don’t come here to be canadian. they come here for money. very few of todays immigrants will go to war or fight in any way to keep my canada, the canada that was a christian nation, as it was. they just don’t give a shit.
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.Posted by: Crabgrass
Yes, where are those chairborne, chickenhawk Blogging Tories?? Ah well, scratch a conservative, find a hypocrite.
You mean it’s not safe to assume that enthusiastic conscription-positive commenters here can back their lusty demands with their own service records? I had no idea.
Oh my god I feel so duped.
A few observations to add, from the perspective of almost twenty years in uniform.
Being in the military tends to be something that runs in the family. Therefore, given the demographics of this country its not surprising that most soldiers are white. I don’t think that this is a problem, but it will be if this is still the case twenty years from now.
The Canadian military used to be used as a social program. I don’t know if this is still the case. The different regions of the country had different quotas for recruits. This is why the maritimes are over represented. Maritimers are also well represented due to the family ties issue.
Women in the military. I have known quite a few. Most of them were competent, but they suffered from the “racism of low expectations”. this tended to mean, in my experience, that the merely competent were considered outstanding.
Being in the military is a young persons business, but when I was in, the recruitment and career management systems meant that as an organization we were basically geriatric. I recall seeing something when I was in that said the average age of someone in the forces was 36. It should be about 23.
I was in the army during Gulf War 1, I didn’t go, and all my peers who also didn’t go were very disappointed. I was young and single at the time. With a wife and two children, I wouldn’t want to go now. This is one reason why it is a business for the young.
There are lots of opportunities for education in the military. In the branch I was in many guys got all expenses paid post grad degrees. Even the non-commissioned members (I HATE that term, it sounds like a form of erectile dysfunction!) can get sent to university under several different programs.
If I ran the army I would try and recruit lots of young guys who would stay for a few years and move on. If I was young again I would graduate from high school, join the army, do one stint save up my money and then get out and get an education. Thats the way it works in large part in the US. Here once you join the expectation is that you will stay for twenty years or until you’re 55.
I met a few ethnic minority soldiers during my service, but they invariable had family ties in Canada for generations.
Ah yes, the ‘if you like the military so much, why don’t you join it’ talking point. I suppose that some people would like to support the military for defending their rights and not have to be forced into service if they don’t want to. I mean, free country and all. But yes, make it easier for the left to dominate politics by having all the conservatives sent away and be ignored. Solves two problems with one sweeping generalization!
Yeah, you only wish it were that easy.
White North American males quitely signing up without an identifiable group peep.
Freakin unbelievable!
Not one article in the Star identifying the inequity!
Well the Taliban are not white.
Obviously.
Makes it easier for our guys to identify targets , …great!
Now lets hurry this thing along.
If you’re not white male North American, we’ll consider your advice according to your commitment.
Europe is a write off, Isreal is probably the exception, but does anyone really think or expect anyone other than white males from North America to fix anything of importance, anywhere in the world anymore?
We suck it up, and get er done.
We are the only unbeatable force on earth, for a reason.
If anyone wonders why immigrants aren’t represented in our forces, just have a look at the criteria that are used. See for example: http://www.immigrate.net/law/en/VisasLaws/PointSystem.asp.
In other words, highly educated and skilled immigrants in their mid to late 20s aren’t likely to find the military a very attractive career option.
Whereas Canadian high school grads (or like Ricky in Trailer Park Boys, who is striving for his grade 10) may find the military a more interesting way to get ahead.
And people from countries like South Korea, which has an army of ~500,000 may have already done their military service and don’t want more. Anybody wonder why Chinese immigrants aren’t attracted to the military?
I have to share this comment from commentor “Gayle” at “Red Tory”
“Do you know anyone who has joined the army? I know several – the vast majority reformed street kids who had no other real options”
Liberal.
Thinks the vast majority of the “army” (sic) are “street kids”.
Wow.
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=9132732&postID=5025721505346175017
I’m surprised more of you are not on board with the conscription idea. If this is truly a battle for civilization, should we not use every available resource to defeat the enemy?
“But yes, make it easier for the left to dominate politics by having all the conservatives sent away and be ignored. Solves two problems with one sweeping generalization!”
I think you’re misunderstanding my post. You see, I want people of all political stripes conscripted: liberals, tories, greends, NDPers. Rich, poor, middle class. I make no distinction. As I said, the only exemption would be for medical disabilities and people already married.
Now granted, this may cause some issues of morale, but nothing that couldn’t be corrected with responsible management training for officers, and the correct explanation of the dangers of Islam to western civilization, which the Toronto Star ignores.
Also, would a blogger respond to the comments, regarding immigrants who come from country’s where the army is a repressive force, and where military service may carry a negative stigma. Some immigrants have been traumatized by abuse at the hands of military and security forces. Do you expect them to serve faithfully in some one else’s army, having just fled from oppression?
I especially love the idea of having immigrants serve in order to get their citizenship. Outsourcing our army to third world refugees: that would make a great campaign slogan.
“Seems to me feminists DEMAND equality of the sexes in almost every other niche of our society.
We do accept women in the army now….don’t we?”
Posted by: Canadian Observer
Yah, and when feminists get what they demand, then maybe feminists will think a little harder about signing up. Just remember, not all women are feminists, but all women should get equal pay for equal work.
I just figured it out – immigrants do not speak English very well. Why do you think the French as sent together at the same time?
“How many Canadian right-wing bloggers have been killed in combat over there?” by Crabgrass
Yah, and how many left-wing bloggers have been killed in combat over there. A little birdie tells me that you’re about as likely to see a Leftard fighting for the freedom of others as you would be to see President Mahmoud Amadnutjob kissing Jews.
“Yah, and how many left-wing bloggers have been killed in combat over there. A little birdie tells me that you’re about as likely to see a Leftard fighting for the freedom of others as you would be to see President Mahmoud Amadnutjob kissing Jews.”
I think you’re missing the point. You see, us left-wing bloggers, are all freedom hating, feminist loving multiculturalist who wants to see the end of western civilization. Having said that, why would I fight in a war, that would prevent the aforementioned from happening. According to the right, western civilization is on the cusp of falling into the dark ages. Why, if as a freedom hating leftist, would I want to prevent that from happening?
Now, right wingers, who love freedom (presumably, as long as it’s not for feminists and multiculturalists), have much to lose in the downfall of western civilization. It behoves you to fight for it, does it not?
So, the question stands: how many LGFers, SDAers, or other assorted right-wing blog posters have been killed in Afghanistan, or Iraqi, or anywhere?
I think I might be a shade off the post but as a fifteen year Vet of the RCAF,(before Trudeau kicked our Rs) I would like to have someone explain the structure of the early NATO service to me. I personally met socialy and at work, a total of 4 blacks,(all from the Maritimes), one from Japan, (a good friend who’s name was the same as my wifes, except hers was O’Hara, and his was Ohara. and one Chinese. This was in fifteen years. One thing that completely confused me was a hockey tournement in Winipeg that I played in, (The RCAF won), The Navy team was almost totally from the Prairies, the Army team was at least 75% from Quebec, and on our team I was the only player not from the Maritimes. The only predominately non Canadian Majority”s I met were from Britain. I guess I must have been an anomoly.
“So, the question stands: how many LGFers, SDAers, or other assorted right-wing blog posters have been killed in Afghanistan, or Iraqi, or anywhere?”
The same amount of right-wing politicians, salesmen, farmers, clerks, lawyers, and other people who have different jobs have been killed. Unless a soldier puts up a right-wing blog and really becomes a frequent poster (you know, in between dealing with operations and doing research into politics? Yeah, that person has THAT much time to be blogging), it’s not likely going to happen. Because, surprise, the military is not for everyone. It’s a tough career to be sure, and not everyone is going to fit in, regardless of political affiliation. Those who do join know what they are getting into, and are fighting so that down the line, the rest of us don’t have to.
“Why, if as a freedom hating leftist, would I want to prevent that from happening?”
Indeed. So until you demonstrate a willingness to strap on a suicide belt for “the cause”, you’re really out of line expressing an opinion at all.
Chickendove.
A lot of soldiers come from depressed ares of Canada. Mostly WASP areas. Areas with high unemployment. Not many Chinese are unemployed. That is a fact.
Crabgrass – Why do you hate Canada?
Seems like the lefty posters point of view is that military forces are simply ne’er do well types that simply have no other option in life but to join the armed forces.
That would seem to be a justification of their own point of view rather than a reflection of reality.
To acknowledge that individuals join for reasons such as a sense of duty and honor would undermine their most basic arguements.
So to justify their own reactionary positions, and self validate their specious arguements, they impose false realities that do far more harm than good.
Nothing wrong with good debate but none of the leftys posting here have advanced positions beyond what can at best be summed up as “no it’s not” as rebutal.
It is undeniable that for some reason, in Canada, whites seem to be more willing to step up an join the forces (and die) than non whites.
It is also, perhaps, the ultimate in racism to bunch all whites together as a group based on their skin color.
Someone lefty ought to step up and explain to (eg.)Germans why they are just like Scotsman since they share the same external color, or by the same rationale why Iranians are the same as Egyptians.
I worked with an American who had served in the Army. He never was in combat, but he still considered the Army a good start to his career.
I remember him telling me about an exercise when they were woken up at 4:00 AM, and ordered to take out all their beds and lockers from their barracks, and reassemble them on the quad exactly as they were in the barracks. They had one hour to do this. Puzzled, I asked him the point of this. He said simply “It teaches you to work as a team”.
I saw a Bison vehicle at the Toronto auto show. It was crammed with equipment that requires more training and education than shooting a rifle. Jet pilots are not exactly stupid. My co-worker told me that they spent at least half their time in a classroom, and that was in the 80’s when microprocessors were just beginning to be deployed. I suspect the class training is even more intense now.
A lot of blacks and hispanics join the US military because it’s one organization where they experience very little discrimination. I’ve been told that many employers consider service to be extremely important on a resume. You put in a few years’ service, get training, and when you leave, you’re much more employable. As minuteman pointed out, the CAF model is you’re there for most of you working life. My cousin was in the CAF, and he got moved about 5 times. I think most people want more stability than that.
Before you question others, I suggest you join up yourself. Nothing like a chickenhawk.
Firstly, let me say that this is the funniest message board I have ever seen. I really ought to move to Saskatchewan. Corner Gas has nothing on this place.
‘”Why, if as a freedom hating leftist, would I want to prevent that from happening?”
Indeed. So until you demonstrate a willingness to strap on a suicide belt for “the cause”, you’re really out of line expressing an opinion at all.
Chickendove.’
This is really funny. It really is. Let me see if I follow your logic: you would have more respect for myself if I strapped on a suicide belt, and blew up Canadian soldiers? Did I read that comment correctly?
And isn’t the term ‘chickendove’ a little bit contradictory? If I am a pacifist, and don’t want to fight (which I am not), and genuinely believe in non-violence as a tactical option, then isn’t calling me a chicken a little bit silly, since, by definition, it is not cowardice, but moral principle that is the basis of my decision? Maybe chickenmullah, or chickenselfloathingmulticulturalist would be appropriate.
“This is really funny. It really is. Let me see if I follow your logic: you would have more respect for myself if I strapped on a suicide belt, and blew up Canadian soldiers? Did I read that comment correctly?”
No, you didn’t. I wouldn’t have any respect for you either way.
“And isn’t the term ‘chickendove’ a little bit contradictory? If I am a pacifist, and don’t want to fight (which I am not)
Chickendoves aren’t pacifists, they’re cowardly hypocrites.
You stated you were a “freedom hating leftist”. Then you state you’re not a pacifist. What’s your point?
So, my question stands – remember it’s only a logical twist on your own. Why haven’t you strapped on a suicide belt to go “die in Afghanistan” with your fellow lefty bloggers?
You talk the talk, so walk it.