Steve’s soldierly pantomime

Ever since he came to power Stephen Harper has tried to use the military for crass political purposes.

First he wanted to use it to change his image from nerdy policy wonk to Great Warrior Leader.

And when that failed miserably, for obvious reasons, he set out to change the military’s image.

He swapped his helmet for a crown, and declared that our boys and girls in uniform must be ROYAL !!! And that they must be ARMED !!!!

Having already re-inserted “royal” into the names of the Canadian air force and navy, the Harper government is making another change to Canada’s military identity.

It is now quietly working to remind Canadians that their soldiers carry guns by doing away with the Chretien-era “Canadian Forces” to describe the military, and instead returning to former moniker “Canadian Armed Forces.”

Because we simply can’t have The Enemy thinking that our soldiers don’t carry guns eh? It might encourage them to invade us.

And how would we stop them?

From sweeping across Canada . . . ?

Especially since Harper’s fancy new stealth broom jet program is not yet capable of repelling them…

And he blew so much money in Afghanistan and Libya, now we can’t even afford to patrol our own sovereignty.

Or save our own people in coastal communities.

Or even take care of our own wounded.

But so help us Godzilla, we CAN put “Armed” back in the Forces, and remind The Enemy we are KILLERS not boy scouts !#@#!!!

“I’m guessing the government wants to re-establish the image that the Canadian Forces is not Boy Scouts, as [former Prime Minister Jean] Chretien called them,” said Douglas Bland, a retired lieutenant-colonel and now chair of defence management studies at Queen’s University.

While Bland believed the Harper government’s decision to change the name back is also politically motivated, he nonetheless approved because “it does, in our small circle within the armed forces and those who are around it, give a sense of what we’re actually about.”

Because that’s what this nonsense is all about eh?

Just another absurd attempt by Stephen Harper to try to rebrand this country and its values. To try to erase the memory of our noble peacekeeping efforts, and replace with them with the hollow jingoistic values of his ghastly Con Canada.

You know in the grand scheme of things this latest move is just small and petty, and it’s less offensive to me than sticking the Royal back in everything. But the way the Cons keep playing politics with the military is outrageous. It is dangerous for a democracy. And it is yet another excellent reason to get rid of them.

For they are not only turning this country into a Banana Republic, they are turning our military into a PANTOMIME.

Oh well. Soldier on bravely boys and girls.

Try not to get wounded eh? Because if you do you’re on your own.

Just stick out your chins.

Shoulder your weapons.

And say oh what a lovely war . . .