Dear Editor:
Re: Military critic was wrong, Letters to the Editor, The Record, Feb. 24.
"All you have to do is to tell them that they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country." Herman Goering, Nazi Field Marshall.
I agree with Doug Reid that Canadians in the past went to war so that we could live in security and with the freedom to voice our opinions even if they are uninformed. You are not unique, Mr. Reid.
Like most people in Canada, I, too, had family that fought in both great wars, going back to a relative who fought with the British against the American invasion of this country in 1812. These wars, unfortunately, did not accomplish what was said to be the objective - to create peace and to put an end to war.
The war in Afghanistan is Canada's longest war. As 10 years rolls by, it is longer than both the First and Second World Wars put together.
Several hundred good Canadian military personnel have been killed, and many others came home wounded and/or with post-traumatic stress. And for what? To get Bin Laden? Did we have to terrorize a whole country for 10 years for that? As it turned out, he was in Pakistan.
As for Iraq, to date, 1.4 million Iraqis have been killed, 80 per cent of whom were reported to be innocent civilians, more than two million are refugees, and millions more have been injured, displaced or tortured and have suffered untold hardship.
Mr. Reid, it is not I who is uninformed.
Perhaps you are uninformed or misinformed because our mainstream media has continually covered up pervasive evidence of Canada's deep complicity in the Iraq war. And who's next? Syria? Iran? World War III?
A document leaked by Wikileaks, for example, summarizes a meeting in Ottawa on March 17, 2003, in which Canadian, British and American diplomats met to discuss Canada's support for the imminent assault on Iraq. It confirms Canada's commitment of armed forces personnel, along with billions of dollars in warships and war planes to help wage the war.
Lastly, Mr. Reid, let me say as a veteran of Canada's military, I take exception to your arrogant and mistaken insinuations that, but for the likes of me, we would not be secure or be able to fend off ships full of illegal immigrants. Really! Let me reiterate the main point of my letter in February for you: I do not agree that we should continue spending hundreds of billions of dollars in continual wars to support American ambitions that have nothing to do with security or freedom, either at home or abroad, but are about imposing a sphere of influence and/or suppression of sovereign countries in order to gain control of their resources, mainly oil.
Once again, it's long overdue that our government stopped being a puppet of American militarism and paid attention to critical needs at home, like bringing our infrastructure and transportation system up to date and above all, ending poverty, homelessness and hunger in our own country. It's time to bring the troops home alive, and re-engage them in the badly needed UN peacekeeping that Canada was noted and respected for.
Let those that died to end all wars not have died in vain.
William Zander, New Westminster
