T.T Boy Posted May 8, 2002 Share Posted May 8, 2002 AN ARTICLE OF INTEREST, COURTESY, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, IN >>BRITAIN >> > The country the world forgot - again By Kevin Myers >> > Until the deaths last week of four Canadian soldiers >>accidentally killed >> > by a US warplane in Afghanistan, probably almost no one >>outside their home >> > country had been aware that Canadian troops were deployed >>in the region. >> > And as always, Canada will now bury its dead, just as the >>rest of the >> > world as always will forget its sacrifice, just as it >>always forgets >> > nearly everything Canada ever does. It seems that Canada's >>historic >> > mission is to come to the selfless aid both of its friends >>and of complete >> > strangers, and then, once the crisis is over, to be well >>and truly >> > ignored. >> > Canada is the perpetual wallflower that stands on the edge >>of the hall, >> > waiting for someone to come and ask her for a dance. A >>fire breaks out, >> > she risks life and limb to rescue her fellow dance-goers, >>and suffers >> > serious injuries. But when the hall is repaired and the >>dancing resumes, >> > there is Canada, the wallflower still, while those she >>once helped >> > glamorously cavort across the floor, blithely neglecting >>her yet again. >> > That is the price which Canada pays for sharing the North >>American >> > Continent with the US, and for being a selfless friend of >>Britain in two >> > global conflicts. >> > For much of the 20th century, Canada was torn in two >>different directions: >> > it seemed to be a part of the old world, yet had an >>address in the new >> > one, and that divided identity ensured that it never fully >>got the >> > gratitude it deserved. Yet its purely voluntary >>contribution to the cause >> > of freedom in two world wars was perhaps the greatest of >>any democracy. >> > Almost 10 per cent of Canada's entire population of seven >>million people >> > served in the armed forces during the First World War, and >>nearly 60,000 >> > died. The great Allied victories of 1918 were spearheaded >>by Canadian >> > troops, perhaps the most capable soldiers in the entire >>British order of >> > battle. Canada was repaid for its enormous sacrifice by >>downright neglect, >> > its unique contribution to victory being absorbed into the >>popular memory >> > as somehow or other the work of the "British". The Second >>World War >> > provided a re-run. The Canadian navy began the war with a >>half dozen >> > vessels, and ended up policing nearly half of the Atlantic >>against U-boat >> > attack. More than 120 Canadian warships participated in >>the Normandy >> > landings, during which 15,000 Canadian soldiers went >>ashore on D-Day >> > alone. Canada finished the war with the third largest navy >>and the fourth >> > largest air force in the world. The world thanked Canada >>with the same >> > sublime indifference as it had the previous time. >> > Canadian participation in the war was acknowledged in film >>only if it was >> > necessary to give an American actor a part in a campaign >>which the US had >> > clearly not participated - a touching scrupulousness >>which, of course, >> > Hollywood has since abandoned, as it has any notion of a >>separate Canadian >> > identity. So it is a general rule that actors and >>film-makers arriving in >> > Hollywood keep their nationality - unless, that is, they >>are Canadian. >> > Thus Mary Pickford, Walter Huston, Donald Sutherland, >>Michael J Fox, >> > William Shatner, Norman Jewison, David Cronenberg and Dan >>Aykroyd have in >> > the popular perception become American, and Christopher >>Plummer British. >> > It is as if in the very act of becoming famous, a Canadian >>ceases to be >> > Canadian, unless she is Margaret Atwood, who is as >>unshakeably Canadian as >> > a moose, or Celine Dion, for whom Canada has proved quite >>unable to find >> > any takers. Moreover, Canada is every bit as querulously >>alert to the >> > achievements of its sons and daughters as the rest of the >>world is >> > completely unaware of them. >> > The Canadians proudly say of themselves - and are unheard >>by anyone else - >> > that 1 per cent of the world's population has provided 10 >>per cent of the >> > world's peace-keeping forces. Canadian soldiers in the >>past half century >> > have been the greatest peace-keepers on earth - in 39 >>missions on UN >> > mandates, and six on non-UN peace-keeping duties, from >>Vietnam to East >> > Timor, from Sinai to Bosnia. Yet the only foreign >>engagement which has >> > entered the popular non-Canadian imagination was the sorry >>affair in >> > Somalia, in which out-of-control paratroopers murdered two >>Somali >> > infiltrators. Their regiment was then disbanded in >>disgrace - a uniquely >> > Canadian act of self-abasement for which, naturally, the >>Canadians >> > received no international credit. So who today in the US >>knows about the >> > stoic and selfless friendship its northern neighbour has >>given it in >> > Afghanistan? >> > Rather like Cyrano de Bergerac, Canada repeatedly does >>honourable things >> > for honourable motives, but instead of being thanked for >>it, it remains >> > something of a figure of fun. It is the Canadian way, for >>which Canadians >> > should be proud, yet such honour comes at a high cost. >>This weekend four >> > shrouds, red with blood and maple leaf, head homewards; >>and four more >> > grieving Canadian families know that cost all too >>tragically well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smart Posted May 8, 2002 Share Posted May 8, 2002 I didn't read it, due to such poor formatting, but... I really like the foreword to Breakfast of Champions, aka Goodbye Blue Monday, how can you ignore the picture of an asshole? * Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.T Boy Posted May 8, 2002 Author Share Posted May 8, 2002 oh smart just go read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poop Man Bob Posted May 8, 2002 Share Posted May 8, 2002 Originally posted by Smart I didn't read it, due to such poor formatting, but... I really like the foreword to Breakfast of Champions, aka Goodbye Blue Monday, how can you ignore the picture of an asshole? * Hahah! Great book! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intangible Posted May 8, 2002 Share Posted May 8, 2002 Does this mean the U.S. and Canada are going to war? If so im going to Mexico... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASER1NE Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 well i did read it , and sadly its too true . but thats just the way things are . canada is so great we dont need all the petty recognition that the US fiends for . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissmyass#1 Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 hmmm.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Priest Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 Originally posted by ASER1NE well i did read it , and sadly its too true . but thats just the way things are . canada is so great we dont need all the petty recognition that the US fiends for . Yea, you get enough attention any ways with the whole " Canada is a festering pile of shit " attitude that most people have adopted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greedy mars Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 http://www.manifestation.org/~ill/images/funny/gayalarm.gif'> word tee tee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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