e-KNOW Editorial

By Ian Cobb

Perhaps it is because Canada is so damned big. Perhaps it is because Canadians tend to focus on survival, living half their lives in weather conditions that will kill if you aren’t prepared.

Perhaps it is because we’re governed by trough-licking system oinks and professional spenders and meeters.

Whatever it is, Canadians love to be unprepared for major world events that don’t sneak up on us.

Case in point – August 4, 1914. After ‘Mother’ Britain declared war on Germany for invading France, Canada bravely followed suit. All 3,000 or so of our soldiers gamely jumped up and prepared their horses for battle – against machine guns and accurate artillery fire.

To say Canada was unprepared for a ‘modern war’ would be a funny understatement. We had a standing army of 3,000+ from a nation of eight million residents.

Fast forward through four years of hell-on-Earth for our unbelievably successful troops during the First World War, Canada’s standing military was in the 650,000 range (including Newfoundland). One of out every 10 men who served lost his life.

A joke of a military in 1914 became a beast for the British Empire by 1917 – they were the proven and oft-tested shock troops who terrified the Germans after Vimy Ridge.

Canada rallied then.

A couple of decades later, when Adolph Hitler and his Nazi regime began its murderous rampage across Europe, Canada once again immediately leapt to the aid of ‘Mother’ Britain, with a military force of about 4,100+ soldiers tramping about in old WW1 get-up and gear.

Though there was a reserve of about 50,000 potential troops, in two decades we allowed our military strength to almost completely dissipate. Our leadership then, much like that of other nations, didn’t pay enough attention to world affairs then.

Despite being unprepared, Canada once again rallied and hit the Nazi threat head-on. By the end of the Second World War in 1945, our military strength ballooned to 730,000 (from 12 million residents) and Canada was truly a country not to be messed with – again mightily battled hardened and successful.

We rallied.

This nation has a history of rallying. Think of our national obsession – hockey. The word ‘rally’ defines the Canadian style of play and always plays a part in success.

All that said, it is time to once again rally. While raising troop numbers and military budgets is a no-brainer considering everything OTHER than this recent pissy asshole aggression coming from the Excited States of Muskera, this time our might must come from our money and resources.

As is being shouted from all roof and mountaintops today, we must buy Canadian whenever and wherever possible. We must not reward our wayward American cousins for their shitty behaviour. And while it is obvious this ‘fight’ begins and ends with President Donald Trump’s daily whiney whims from his cradle in the Oval Office, make no mistake, the American people elected this guy.

And while Canada seems to be targeting its response to this 25% tariff tiff at ‘red states’ we must remain focussed on the full battle and jack up our efforts like our lives depend on it. Don’t kid yourselves, they may be. That’s how bloody ridiculous Trump and his gang of brown shirt morons have made our world.

(As a side editorial note I’d like to address those who have lost their minds on me for ‘constantly going on about Trump’ because he has no bearing on the East Kootenay, B.C. or Canada… this is frigging why.)

Canadians must now knuckle down. Time for the gloves to come off and teach buddy a lesson.

It is time for provincial trade barriers to be kicked down and kept down, allowing Canadians to stand the best chance to establish products we want to purchase.

Obviously, we need to find more markets for trade, aside from Russia (Putin’s hand is surely up the Muppet Trump’s backside) and any nation siding with it.

Considering Trump’s current obsession with making Canada a gigantic state (that would tip the balance of the red-blue game of Electoral College idiocy in America to the blue side) and taking him some Greenland, we should be meeting our NATO commitment. Clearly, relying on the US for global protection right now is like hoping the dirty cop will choose public safety over bribery.

And more than anything, we need to stand strong, together. None of this right wing/left wing nonsense. Quit with the old saws long unproven; shake the shackles of narrow perception and be big for your country.

To our current elected leadership of all scale – work together non-partisan; for the greater good.  Anyone playing politics to gain an edge in a future election is merely an asshole; someone who should go practice politics in the US where being a lying sellout without a shred of ethics or morality is okay (apparently).

Yes, we are heading to an election so doesn’t this make for one hell of a testing range for voters?

It is time to unite Canada for the common good. It will make us a better and a stronger country and help stem the painful economic tide coming our way.

It is time to rally, catch-up and stand up together. If we do; we win. Let’s go!

– Ian Cobb is owner/editor of e-KNOW

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