# Canadians and distorted reality...



## ArmyRick (14 Sep 2010)

I don't know if this is already been done, mods flog me if it is. My search on words consperacy turned up nothing.

Lately on CBC.ca web site, I have noticed alot of Canadians are very naive about what we really are doing/how we do business in Afghanistan or in general.

There have been several CF related stories lately and these are some common themes that pop up
1. The CF is in Afghanistan to fight a war for oil for Bush;
2. The CF is in Afghanistan to fight a war for the drug trade;
3. The CF would never investigate allegations agaisnt itself because it might look bad;
4. The CF is always involved in a cover up;
5. The CF is made up of poorly educated, young Canadians that have no where else to go or do;
6. They (these people posting remarks) demand that they know everything going and operational security is not transparent in a democratic society;
7. If the CF does investigate itself and charges no one, then the investigation is seriously flawed because we can not possibly discipline or control ourselves;
8. All of us in the CF are somehow nothing but props for both Harper and Bush/US policy; and
9. We must be committing war crimes because they happened in Viet Nam, therefore how could we resist?

With alot of these negative assumptions being made about the CF, it makes me wonder how I don't come in to work and see my boss wearing a patch over one eye and yelling "Yar maties, we be pirates!".

I mean, part of this is a rant and a vent about what people think we are doing in the CF. I guess they don't realize we have families, wives and husbands, children, moms and dads. We pay our taxes and bills like they do to. We don't get free beer. It breaks our heart to hear stories of inhuman violence. We understand the world is not a safe and wonderfull utopia like down town Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal.

I am not out to help defence companies make loads of money (or the oil industry) and I am not merely a government stoogie who does exactly what he is told.

It is too bad these people are the most biggotted, hatefull and prejudice people I can think of. 

Anybody else want to chime in they're thoughts?


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## PuckChaser (14 Sep 2010)

The government (Liberal and Conservatives) didn't do a good job "selling" the mission to Canadians. All they heard was we're going to help the US because they got attacked. Its too late now, as most opinions are shaped, but if we started from Day 1, we might not be leaving under political pressure.

I wouldn't read CBC.ca's comments. That's where most of the left wing nutjobs hang out.


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## OldSolduer (14 Sep 2010)

PuckChaser said:
			
		

> The government (Liberal and Conservatives) didn't do a good job "selling" the mission to Canadians. All they heard was we're going to help the US because they got attacked. Its too late now, as most opinions are shaped, but if we started from Day 1, we might not be leaving under political pressure.
> 
> I wouldn't read CBC.ca's comments. That's where most of the left wing nutjobs hang out.



I concur. This should have been an easy sell: Canadian soldiers going to help the opressed and downtrodden, and may have to get a bit nasty to do so. I am sure, if it was properly packaged, the opinions wouold have been contrary.


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## Newt (14 Sep 2010)

1. Canadians want Canada to be thought of as a "big boy country". All the other big kids have scandals, therefore Canada must have scandals. Canadian media is happy to provide the hint of scandal in every document they "uncover" in access to information requests. If the CBC got a copy of CDS to do list and pick up dry cleaning was redacted they would happily imply that the redacted item was go kick puppies with Peter McKay.  

2. The CF has been removed from, or was never really part of, polite society. Soldiers, sailors, and airmen are out of the norm for most Canadians; we are out of sight and out of mind. When the public sees us in their communities they don't know what we're doing or how to interact with us. Joe Q. Public doesn't know the difference between loggies from the local ASU out for a ruckmarch and commandos on a covert recon [sic] patrol. 

3. The impression that most Canadians have of the CF is based on myth. Example: the Avro Arrow was an amazing aircraft and if we had it the rest of the world would be in awe of our country and our towels would be fluffier. Canadians expect all of their soldiers, RCMP, police, etc. to be fluent in French, English, and Cree; to never draw our weapons in anger; to have rugged good looks; and our bowel movements to smell like fresh baked cookies. In short they want us all to be Fraser from Due South instead of the collection of flawed individuals we really are. 

Edited for grammar and spelling.


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## Haggis (14 Sep 2010)

ArmyRick said:
			
		

> With alot of these negative assumptions being made about the CF, it makes me wonder how I don't come in to work and see my boss wearing a patch over one eye and yelling "Yar maties, we be pirates!".



That happens this Sunday.  ;D


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## ArmyRick (14 Sep 2010)

From what was posted above (not the pirate reference) you would almost think Canadians need a "Villian" (We need our saron, darth vadar, someone to hate) and of course we must have a hero too!

So from reading what these guys put we have our favorite villians (Bush and Harper who meet with Monty Burns and other rich villians and plot to control the world)
and then of course is our ever so noble hero types? Like Jack Layton the wise or Chretein the unshakable (both here to save Canadians from the evils of right wing thinking!)

How does that sound for summing up some rather simple minded thinking out there?


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## Newt (14 Sep 2010)

ArmyRick said:
			
		

> From what was posted above (not the pirate reference) you would almost think Canadians need a "Villian" (We need our saron, darth vadar, someone to hate) and of course we must have a hero too!
> 
> So from reading what these guys put we have our favorite villians (Bush and Harper who meet with Monty Burns and other rich villians and plot to control the world)
> and then of course is our ever so noble hero types? Like Jack Layton the wise or Chretein the unshakable (both here to save Canadians from the evils of right wing thinking!)
> ...



Canada doesn't have villains or enemies; we're a nation of respected Peacekeepers after all. Anyone who suggests that Canada might have an enemy, or has a body of people who think unkindly of us, obviously has a hidden agenda. For the PM to suggest that the Phantasians are our enemy implies that the PM is a shareholder/puppet/owner of a company that has mineral rights in Phantasia; we beat the Phantasians in a lacrosse game in '72, therefore they respect us and are our allies, therefore any report of their bombers on our borders is pure government propaganda.


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## Edward Campbell (14 Sep 2010)

Newt said:
			
		

> 1. Canadians want Canada to be thought of as a "big boy country". All the other big kids have scandals, therefore Canada must have scandals. Canadian media is happy to provide the hint of scandal in every document they "uncover" in access to information requests. If the CBC got a copy of CDS to do list and pick up dry cleaning was redacted they would happily imply that the redacted item was go kick puppies with Peter McKay.
> 
> 2. The CF has been removed from, or was never really part of, polite society. Soldiers, sailors, and airmen are out of the norm for most Canadians; we are out of sight and out of mind. When the public sees us in their communities they don't know what we're doing or how to interact with us. Joe Q. Public doesn't know the difference between loggies from the local ASU out for a ruckmarch and commandos on a covert recon [sic] patrol.
> 
> ...




We can no longer say +1 ... so Newt has pretty much nailed it. Despite all the red T-shirts and bumper stickers, Canadians' support for the CF, while it may be a mile wide, is, like their understanding, only an inch deep.


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## PuckChaser (14 Sep 2010)

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> We can no longer say +1 ... so Newt has pretty much nailed it. Despite all the red T-shirts and bumper stickers, Canadians' support for the CF, while it may be a mile wide, is, like their understanding, only an inch deep.



Support the Troops has become a catch-phrase unintentionally. People just throw it around now without either knowing what it means, or just having words not deeds. This is not the majority of people, but a strong minority that use it that way.


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## a_majoor (15 Sep 2010)

Unfortunately, I am doing an OP CONNECTION tasking now and most people seem to know the military through video games. 

I am now allowing my sarcastic streak to come out (or maybe that's the _real_ me  >); when some kid comes up and asks to pick up the "SAW" I direct them to the next table where the medic is. If they are unable to understand that reference, I point out the engineers in the tent outside also use saws to cut down trees and clear debris....

On a somewhat saner note, when people ask about my tour of Afghanistan, I point out facts like the 4000 micro-loans the KPRT handed out, the completion of ROUTE SUMMIT and the purchase of a garbage truck for the Mir Wais hospital in Kandahar City; things they were totally unaware of.

With that sort of knowledge base to work from, is it any wonder people have no idea who we are or what we do?


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## IGA (15 Sep 2010)

First let me say that I am 100% civilian. I don't even know anyone in the CF. I started reading this site to try and get more info on Afghanistan. But reading the comments of some of the posters on here has got me shaking my head. It seems a lot of you don't  think there is much support for the CF. I've been involved in coaching my sons amateur sports for a number of years. So you get to meet a variety  of people. I have friends who are cops, teachers, doctors, constuction workers and other occupations. And not one of them has anything but the highest respect and gratitude for what the CF is doing. WE may not be very knowledgeable about what you are doing, but just where do you find out about the CF? The CBC?. I admit I don't live in downtown Vancouver or Toronto. I don't go to University of Victoria. I don't bother posting on CBC website. I live in a conservative area.  Part of the problem is that most of the CF is out of site out of mind. The only time I ever see any member of the CF is when the Snowbirds fly over my house during Abbotsford Airshow. So there is never any face to face, never a chance to talk to anyone in the CF. I live in a fairly small town, but last Nov. 11 there were thousands out to show respect to our veterans. But also for the people in CF now. There was a small group from Cold Lake out for the olympics so they marched in the parade. I bet none of them had any doubts that the civilians supported them and what they do. Please don't confuse Jack Layton and his bunch with the majority of Canadians.


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## ArmyRick (15 Sep 2010)

IGA,

We appreciate the "silent majority" like you.  Keep it up!  

My rant is aimed at the typical young (or obsolete hippy) punk that goes on about goverment conspiracies, police states and anything that makes them responsible. I do also aim at fluffy air heads (like certain theorist and proffessors) who basically want to see us do nothing but unarmed/minimal armed UN missions.


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## Davionn (15 Sep 2010)

Well said, IGA!  It's true that we seem to focus sometimes on the negative, especially when we experience it firsthand.  I live in Toronto now, and must admit to having my fair share.  The funny thing is that when I really think about it, there are actually more positive experiences out there:

The woman who spoke to me at a fast food chain just to say thanks for what the CF does.  The guy at Timmies who insisted on buying me a coffee.  The streetcar full of commuters that applauded me upon boarding, loaded with kit, stinking and filthy, after returning from a weekend exercise.  It was the longest ride of life as several insisted on speaking with me.  I was a little self conscious in my state. I had cleaned myself up as much as I could before leaving the armouries, but the smell sticks around until you shower.  No one seemed to mind, though...  I have to admit, that last one affected me the most.  I realized in each instance that it wasn't just me they were showing appreciation for, but all of us in uniform.


Davionn

Davionn


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## owa (15 Sep 2010)

Yeah, I think a big problem is that the only ones who are vocal are the ones who have problems.  Mostly everyone else is pretty carefree and supportive.  Even a lot of left-wing nuts are supportive haha...  Such as myself.

Albeit, I think sometimes you have to mindful that a lot of people love the CF and hate the mission.  I'm not sure if I support the current mission, but I believe in the members of the CF.  I just don't know enough about the mission to make a fair judgment on it.

With that said, there are an awful lot of people out there who just like to hear their own voice, so it turns into a bit of a gong show when they start spouting off about anything and everything.  CBC comments are a prime example of that, haha.


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## Brad Sallows (15 Sep 2010)

It's unfair to tar Canadians at large.   To be specific, many of the people who comment on media bulletin boards (CBC, Macleans, etc) are ignorant - in the literal meaning of the word, not a merely pejorative one.  Their opinions are informed by widely held contemporary myths about modern western military forces, and fictional interpretations (Hollywood, popular literature) of aforementioned forces.  To judge by several recent political flaps, a large number of those people are also prone to defer to those they presume to be "experts", and hence to accept the "expert" opinions as gospel (even when the "experts" stray far out of the lanes in which they have anything like expertise).  For example, Michael Ignatieff is widely held (in some quarters worshipped) to possess a keen and penetrating intellect, so he can utter something like this (reported by CBC) with respect to the editing of a Wikipedia article about the F-35:


> Ignatieff said the incidents show the government has "something to hide."
> 
> "Instead of making the case for Canadians ... saying, 'this is why we need this plane,' they're playing these games with Wikipedia," Ignatieff said, while in Toronto on his summer bus tour.
> 
> "If you can't prove this case straight up and you have to resort to these tricks, then there's something wrong with the very proposition."



and yet few people will think, "Gee, that exhibits not much more common sense than the average grouse."


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## prouver (17 Sep 2010)

ArmyRick,  you are correct. Who else are responsible for these slanderous statements and deliberately ill-conceived 'misconceptions' but the Communist Party of Canada together with their agents of influence in the media. Not only distorted but blatantly provocative to the extent of realizing that the Bible is indeed true that there are 'people out there seeking death'. Canadian law is clear on this: Provocation is a valid defense against homicide. Sorry to have gone this far but patience has ran out.

" When I feel like swallowing hard and the public are all out ther glued in their TV sets watching me, I hurriedly grab glasses of water and drink to hide my guilt from these pro-capitalist voters"-Jack Layton, a suspected Cuban spy. " I cough when I get the cue from a coughing journalist out there who asked me questions".


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## ArmyRick (19 Sep 2010)

Huh? What? Explain in six year old speak please...  ???


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## OldSolduer (19 Sep 2010)

ArmyRick said:
			
		

> Huh? What? Explain in six year old speak please...  ???




Both of us are infantry. Small words, short sentences please.

Thank you


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## prouver (20 Sep 2010)

Just like the moderators are in this forum: mere messengers (following orders). And don't shoot the messenger.
"Canada is enemy territory"-Fidel Castro. Gather your nearest kin and ask for anything suspicious in the backyard. I tell you, he has assassins, dreadful and kill without mercy.


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## Journeyman (20 Sep 2010)

prouver said:
			
		

> Just like the moderators are in this forum: mere messengers (following orders). And don't shoot the messenger.
> "Canada is enemy territory"-Fidel Castro. Gather your nearest kin and ask for anything suspicious in the backyard. I tell you, he has assassins, dreadful and kill without mercy.


 op:


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## OldSolduer (20 Sep 2010)

Spiralling...... op:

 :cheers:


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## Brad Sallows (20 Sep 2010)

Somewhere there is a piece of paper signed by a pharmacist with either too much or too little dose...


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## a_majoor (20 Sep 2010)

Brad Sallows said:
			
		

> Somewhere there is a piece of paper signed by a pharmacist with either too much or too little dose...



I think I need some of that as well.......


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## Loachman (21 Sep 2010)

IGA said:
			
		

> I don't even know anyone in the CF.



Yes you do - you've been here for three years.

You just haven't met any of us yet.

I agree that many people's support is genuine. When somebody picks up a dinner tab for a couple of dozen of us in uniform (Edmonton, early 2008) they are not just repeating a phrase - they are putting their money where our mouths are. That tab must have been at least $600.00.


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## Haggis (21 Sep 2010)

Loachman said:
			
		

> When somebody picks up a dinner tab for a couple of dozen of us in uniform (Edmonton, early 2008) they are not just repeating a phrase - they are putting their money where our mouths are. That tab must have been at least $600.00.



And again you don't invite me!!   :crybaby:


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## GAP (21 Sep 2010)

Haggis said:
			
		

> And again you don't invite me!!   :crybaby:


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## Bluebulldog (21 Sep 2010)

Going back to the original topic.

Many regular Canadians don't really have any concept, nor do they have any frame of reference for members of the CF.

Many believe that we are a solely peacekeeping force. There is very little appreciation for not only our current CF, but very few have any knowledge of past conflicts, battles, and history of the CF. 

For this I blame many. First and foremost is our governments ( all levels, Municipal, Provincial, and Federal). There are very few iniatives that put the CF in the forefront, except for the one day a year ( 11 Nov) when all political entities get out and give their moment of silence for the cameras and media.

We have an over saturation of US media, which unfortunately, doesn't do much for highlighting our own history. ( How many Canadians know who the first Prime Minister is? I bet there are more that know that George Washington was the first president. It was John A. MacDonald BTW)

Unfortunately. Unlike the US which has over 2 million members serving in its military, we don't have the same presence. Nor do we have the same geography...where the US places it's military installations in very close proximity to major city centres, we tend to place ours in out of the way spaces.

Unfortunatley, with the war in Afghanistan, we should be getting more exposure, however our ever loving Liberal media doesn't tend to report much except the bad.


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## OldSolduer (21 Sep 2010)

Bluebulldog I agree with your assessment. I would like to add one thing:

We, as a military, do not blow our own horn, so to speak, very well. We tend to minimize the actions of our members by saying "we were only doing our jobs". While that may be so, sometimes our jobs see our troops being taken under fire by hostile forces, who mean to do us harm. This is not publicized well enough. I think, as my own opinion only, we need to publicize the actions our troops (Army, Navy and Air) have taken far more than we do.


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## Haggis (21 Sep 2010)

Bluebulldog said:
			
		

> Unfortunately. Unlike the US which has over 2 million members serving in its military, we don't have the same presence. Nor do we have the same geography...where the US places it's military installations in very close proximity to major city centres, we tend to place ours in out of the way spaces.



The Regular Force are, by and large, concentrated in a few areas.  With them are all the expensive, shiny and cool things that the public pays for (aircraft, ships, LAVs, tanks etc.) However, there are about 200 Reserve Force units scattered across Canada and many dozen Ranger Patrols in the North.  One of the roles of the Reserve Force is to be the community footprint of the CF in Canada.  In all likelihood, if a Canadian citizen sees a CF member in small town Canada, that member is a Reservist.


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## George Wallace (21 Sep 2010)

Haggis said:
			
		

> The Regular Force are, by and large, concentrated in a few areas.  With them are all the expensive, shiny and cool things that the public pays for (aircraft, ships, LAVs, tanks etc.) However, there are about 200 Reserve Force units scattered across Canada and many dozen Ranger Patrols in the North.  One of the roles of the Reserve Force is to be the community footprint of the CF in Canada.  In all likelihood, if a Canadian citizen sees a CF member in small town Canada, that member is a Reservist.



True, and even that may becoming a rarity.


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## ArmyRick (21 Sep 2010)

Its too bad we don't have an eager Canadian movie producer do a realistic but major hit movie about Canadian Troops in Afghanistan. Think along the lines of generation Kill HBO series. I showed that to my family and friends and many were very impressed to see the human side of troops in battle (The bravery, the humour, the sorrow, etc, etc). It would be very easy to take some Canadian recent battles and turn it into a major hit but it can not be done on the cheap or half assed. If it is, nobody will watch it.

This would fall along side the concept of touting our horn (As Jim said). 

Ideas on this? Thoughts? Or is it to the stocks for me and rotten tomatoes for my face?


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## aesop081 (21 Sep 2010)

ArmyRick said:
			
		

> cheap or half assed.



Speaking of....do you remember that peacekeeper movie they made a while back ?


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## OldSolduer (21 Sep 2010)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> Speaking of....do you remember that peacekeeper movie they made a while back ?



Yes, I watched it. IMO, it was not representative. When the Pl WO told the Pl Comd "I'll call the Engineers" to clear booby traps, the Pl Comd said "No, that's why we have Assault Pioneers".

What rubbish.


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## aesop081 (21 Sep 2010)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> What rubbish.



it was "cheap and half-assed" indeed.


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## OldSolduer (21 Sep 2010)

I always thought we should have made "Kapyong" with Canadian actors in the lead roles. Thoughts?


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## Bluebulldog (21 Sep 2010)

Yes. It's actually funny, bordering on tragic that the one really good movie about the CF ( Passchendale) was about a war that's coming up on 100 years old.

Pity someone wouldn't give the same treatment to more recent conflict, even Korea.


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## OldSolduer (21 Sep 2010)

Bluebulldog said:
			
		

> Yes. It's actually funny, bordering on tragic that the one really good movie about the CF ( Passchendale) was about a war that's coming up on 100 years old.
> 
> Pity someone wouldn't give the same treatment to more recent conflict, even Korea.



Maybe we should prevail upon some Canadians who have done a titanic job producing movies etc to do this.


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## a_majoor (21 Sep 2010)

War movies are very expensive, so producers are reluctant to put out a truckload of money and never see it back (the number of CF members who would see the movies and buy the DVD's is probably not enough to pay back the cost of a $100 million production).

Of course the members of the movie industry who *do* make war films are notoriously uneducated, and evidently happy to remain so; I can imagine the technical advisor(s) of the peacekeeping film or Passchendale gnashing their teeth after telling the film makers that "no, Engineers clear mines and booby traps" or "Bayonets are thrust into the torso because it is soft and easy to penetrate, bayoneting a person in the head is impossible in practice" and then watching the scene go ahead as the producer and director planned....

Still, there are lots of great historical events that could be spun into great films with the proper screenplay, producers, directors and actors (especially the screenplay; without a compelling story everything else is crap).

Some ideas:

1. The Company of Adventurers (I'm rather partial to the exploits of Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville)
2. The Seven Years War has lots of interesting events 
3. The Red River rebellion
4. The Yukon Field Force (interesting variation of a trope; a film about the military _not_ engaging in combat)
5. Exploits of the CMR during the Boer War
6. Vimy (following Pierre Burton's book; looking at how the battle was planned. There will be enough combat scenes during the trench raiding portion, the final scene can start with the pause of the guns, followed by the opening of the barrage and an expanding panoramic shot of Canadians rising out of the trenches and beginning the advance)
7. "Green Beach". A book about Dieppe which explains the rational for the battle as an attempt to capture a German radar station nearby and exploit the technical data recovered. Makes more sense than most ideas about the raid.

Obviously this only scratches the surface, there is nothing about our sister services in the Navy or Air Force, and I have stopped the list midway through WWII.

Bash on!

(_Edit to put d'Iberville in the proper historical place_)


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## Bluebulldog (21 Sep 2010)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> Maybe we should prevail upon some Canadians who have done a titanic job producing movies etc to do this.



Awww....Seggie.....what a horrendous pun!!


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## OldSolduer (21 Sep 2010)

Bluebulldog said:
			
		

> Awww....Seggie.....what a horrendous pun!!



yes,...yes you are correct.


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## Remius (22 Sep 2010)

The last few years I've grown tired of explaining to the uninformed what we are doing.  When I was a recruiter I dealt with a lot of crap in Cegeps and universities.  And it isn't that they are uninformed, it's that they refuse to be informed.  It's like talking to a rock.  There are people out there that don't want to know the good things the CF does because that would legitimise us so it must be a cover for something or some false flag crap they spew.  I just walk away now.  I really don't care anymore how they feel about it because I really don't think it's the majority.  

I was driving home from Borden while on TD there and stopped in Port Hope for a quick lunch and some lady walked up to me and asked me with a sneer when I was shipping out to Iraq.  I mean, WTF.  It's not like the news hasn't been on for the last 10 years or so.

But I do get more "Thank yous" than F**K yous though.  I've had coffee bought for me, beer bought for me etc etc.  Feels awkward but it is good to hear from time to time.  The Highway of Heroes for example, I think is unique in the western world.  Pretty touching if you've seen it happening live.  Or rememberance day in Ottawa.  Thousands and thousands of people, and a lot more recognising new veterans not just WW2 ones.

So I don't buy into the wide not deep cliché.


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## Haggis (22 Sep 2010)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> Yes, I watched it. IMO, it was not representative. When the Pl WO told the Pl Comd "I'll call the Engineers" to clear booby traps, the Pl Comd said "No, that's why we have Assault Pioneers".
> 
> What rubbish.



So I guess you don't consider "ZOS: Zone of Separation" an accurate portrayal of our time in the Balkans?
 :clown:


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## OldSolduer (22 Sep 2010)

Haggis said:
			
		

> So I guess you don't consider "ZOS: Zone of Separation" an accurate portrayal of our time in the Balkans?
> :clown:



Is that what it was called? I found it incredulous that some junior officer was the savior..... ;D


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## aesop081 (22 Sep 2010)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> Is that what it was called? I found it incredulous that some junior officer was the savior..... ;D



ZOS was a minie-series that was equaly as bad as the movie i was refering to.


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## Oldgateboatdriver (22 Sep 2010)

Crantor: Please never grow tired of explaining. Trust me, it makes inroads even with the "lefty" gang more than you will ever know. It just does not happen instantly before your eyes. So, never give up.

Secondly, trust in the "Highway of heroes" thing. It is making a pan-Canadian impact. Ontario Highway 401, the highway of heroes connects into Quebec's Highway 20, now known as the "Remembrance Highway" (Autoroute du Souvenir), with full signage using the Remembrance day poppy. That is recognition in 63% of the Canadian population with other provinces not even having a chance to "connect" to this.


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## a_majoor (22 Sep 2010)

Crantor

Despite my little snark about the "X-box" generation and the SAW , I found I did open a lot of eyes during my stint in OP CONNECTION when I segued into what happened during my tour of Afghanistan; the 4000 micro loans, the completion of ROUTE SUMMIT, the building of schools and the purchase of a garbage truck for the Mir Wais hospital in Kandahar city.

I expect every single person who asked what we accomplished in Afghanistan after finding out I had done a tour were probably expecting a description of playing "whack a mole" with the Taliban; now they know why we also have a combat mission there, and some might now be  looking for more information or seriously thinking about what they are hearing on the legacy media (not one person was aware of _any_ of these events).

Basically, correcting people's impressions with facts here in Canada is the same as sitting for tea with the village elders in Afghanistan; _they_ have a very poor understanding of what we are doing there as well. The people who refuse to listen or ask about Iraq can be considered Tier One Taliban; your job is to separate the Tier Two and the bulk of the population from them. (Sorry, JDAM support will not be avail for this task  ).


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## PuckChaser (26 Sep 2010)

Thucydides said:
			
		

> The people who refuse to listen or ask about Iraq can be considered Tier One Taliban; your job is to separate the Tier Two and the bulk of the population from them. (Sorry, JDAM support will not be avail for this task  ).



Pretty good analogy, but I hate when higher limits our use of weaponry and tactics.  ;D


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