My son is at Vimy today with his St Mike’s classmates – and I know he will always remember the significance of it. More than 3,500 Canadians killed, more than 7,000 wounded. But the Canadians drove out the German Sixth Army, and – as some say – Canada itself came of age.
I didn’t want to post a picture of the monument. I wanted a picture of the men who fought there, because I think that is what Vimy Ridge is about.
When I run everything, this is the only sort of thing I will allow on TV.
I still stand by most of it. Link here.
Snippets:
It is far easier to get into a war than to get out of one. As the civilized world reflects on what to do about Syria, that truism bears remembering.
The grim statistics, however, continue to shock us all: Tens of thousands of Syrians dead, in excess of two million wounded or displaced. Most, civilians — women and children.
Atrocities are commonplace, with new horrors being perpetrated by Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad every day. The usual measures– condemnations, diplomatic censures, embargoes — have done nothing to stop the killing of innocents. With the complicity of China and Russia, and with the military support of Iran, Syria’s little Hitler has survived far longer than anyone predicted he would.
Meanwhile, the pogroms continue apace. At some point, we aid and abet the bloodshed. All that is necessary for the triumph of evil, as Edmund Burke famously observed, is for good people to do nothing. History shows us that much.
Every strategic path in Syria carries risk. We know that if we keep doing what we are doing, many more will die. If we intervene, the same may well be true. But intervene we must. There are compelling reasons to do so.
…destroying the al-Assad regime hurts Iran. Syria’s conflict has become a proxy war, and no Middle Eastern nation has as much to lose in al-Assad’s departure than the maniacs in Tehran. With al-Assad’s departure–ideally at the end of a noose, after a war crimes trial– Iran stands to lose much.
Third, the terrorists in Hezbollah are an extension of al-Assad’s power base. Hezbollah’s “secretary-general,” Hassan Nasrallah, has overseen multiple atrocities to prop up the Syrian dictatorship. At present, the terrorist group has trained and advised Syrian forces, and has killed opposition fighters and civilians. They have worked closely with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to crush dissent. With al-Assad gone, Hezbollah will be dealt a serious blow.
Fourth, al-Assad represents a real and present danger to Israel and the West. So far, Israel’s government has wisely absented itself from the Syrian conflict, because it knows that pan-Arab opposition to Syria’s regime depends on it. But make no mistake, the security of Israel, and by extension the West, will greatly benefit from al-Assad’s removal and by a destabilized Iran and Hezbollah.
The final argument in favour of military intervention is simple: Morality. Inaction in the face of such terrible war crimes is complicity. And the Syrian people overwhelmingly seek our help; as the recently defected Syrian prime minister, Riyad Hijab, has said, only the West possesses the ability to force al-Assad out.
With care, with deliberation, it is time to do so. We need only cast our eyes over history’s genocides to know what will happen if we stand by saying much, but doing nothing.
I’m bewildered as to why Trump gave the Syrians advance warning that he was going to bomb Syria. But I’m delighted Trudeau has said exactly the right thing, in precisely the right way. Kudos.
Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on U.S. strikes in Syria
Ottawa, Ontario
April 7, 2017
The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement today on U.S. strikes in Syria:“Canada fully supports the United States’ limited and focused action to degrade the Assad regime’s ability to launch chemical weapons attacks against innocent civilians, including many children. President Assad’s use of chemical weapons and the crimes the Syrian regime has committed against its own people cannot be ignored. These gruesome attacks cannot be permitted to continue with impunity.
“This week’s attack in southern Idlib and the suffering of Syrians is a war crime and is unacceptable. Canada condemns all uses of chemical weapons.
“Canada will continue to support diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria.”
Trump has been condemned by Russia, Syria, Iran, Hezbollah, and a number of American neo-Nazi groups. That's about as good as it gets.
— Warren Kinsella (@kinsellawarren) April 7, 2017
So. This Pentagon statement. Read it.
I take back the credit I gave Trump, below. Why? Because he gave the Syrians and Russians a head’s up. Seriously.
He hit a bunch of empty airplane hangars and a couple tool sheds. Best case.
…but to support this action (as I do).
(And what happened is exactly what Hillary suggested should be done, by the by. #StillWithHer.)
But what of the Russians who may have been on the ground there, in harm’s way? Volenti non fit injuria, as we lawyers say.
I personally like Barbie’s decision to pop by and photobomb us.
L to R: some guy off the street, Tom Axworthy, Dorothy Davey, Marty Goldfarb, Dennis Mills.
.@realDonaldTrump's #Russiagate isn't going away. He will therefore soon…
— Warren Kinsella (@kinsellawarren) April 6, 2017
…and, for them, that spells disaster. Snippet from next week’s column below. And comments are open!
If the 2016-2017 Conservative leadership race is to be remembered for anything at all, it will be its willingness to replicate Donald Trump-style bigotry in Canada – and the narrow, mean-spirited bumper-sticker politics it has championed along the way.
Too many of their leadership candidates have forsaken what Stephen Harper did. Too many have forgotten that, by (a) coming together and (b) bringing new Canadians into the Conservative fold, the Conservatives finally won power.
