There were a bunch of guys on this "satirical news program" that acted like a bunch of teenagers just going through puberty and the object of their scorn and weak attempts at humour was the Canadian Military.
Without getting into all the details, let's just say that their remarks about their neighbour to the north were not only juvenile, but very degrading and nasty!
The program seemed to have slipped under the radar of most media outlets since it probably has a very small audience, but after talking about it on this blog and having four more Canadian soldiers die that same day in Afghanistan, the story very quickly caught fire with the mainstream news bureau's and caused outrage here in Canada.
If these guys on "Red Eye" want to poke fun at Canadians then let them, after all, South Park did it with their "Blame Canada" spoof a while back.
But, when they ridicule the Canadian Armed Forces while we have men dying over there to help the States out, they have definitely crossed the line and owe us an apology!
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On a slightly different, and even stranger note, it seems that religious insanity has struck again kids!
Naturally it concerns the Middle-East, but the source is something that just might amaze you.
I think that by now we have all heard about something called the "Arab - Israeli" problem and have at least a passing knowledge of the issues..... Jews took/were given land...... Palestinians kicked out..... Palestinians want it back......Jews not budging..... other Arabs pissed..... Jews don't care...... etc!
WELL GUESS WHAT?
Into this mess throw three Israeli Rabbi's who believe that the Jews don't deserve a country!
No really folks, I'm not making this up!
I just read an article by Mindy Jacobs of Sun Media who says;
'Zionism, the movement to re-establish the Jews in their ancient homeland, is an evil "cancer" run by a bunch of "rogue thieves" that's antithetical to Judaism,' said Rabbi David Weiss as he spoke to a couple of hundred Muslims at the Edmonton Islamic Academy on Sunday.Gee, with Jewish "friends" like these, who needs enemies?
The crowd applauded him, of course, because Weiss was apparently telling them what they wanted to hear -- that Jewish sovereignty is a rebellion against God.
The International Palestine Awareness Committee, which organized the event, wondered later why no one from mainstream Jewish groups attended.
Here's a hint.
Weiss and his tiny, loopy, anti-Zionist contingent are so far removed from the Jewish norm that they're off the dial.
We here at "Perspective" have raised the issue of a -Jewish Homeland- a few times and still believe it should be Miami, since that is where they all end up anyway!
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-Allan; Here's a 10, decent Americans love Canadians and appreciate their service. When it comes to Fox News, you really have to consider the source. These aren't exactly a group of rocket scientists.
Jane C
-Allan; Glen Beck and Sean Hannity - the Beavis 'n' Butthead of news. Anyway, if you tune in Fox news you have to expect to be outraged.
Gary Gentry,
-Allan; Yes the only good brainwashing is coming from MSNBC. I have Canadian Cousins, former military, they weren’t offended. Mostly because what Red Eye does is SATIRE, Allan, you should go out and rent a sense of humor, if you like it, you could get one of your own. Hehehe.
Phileas Fogg,
-Phileas; There is great debate in this country about the Afghan war because it is basically unwinnable! Your President is even coming to that conclusion. As I said before we have men dying over there and this is not a subject for ridicule or levity.
Allan Janssen
-Allan -- Please know that not all Americans share the views expressed on Fox's "Red Eye" show regarding Canada and the Canadian Military. Although I have never watched that show, it is generally the opinion that the show is mindless blather aired to fill the fairly empty late night slots on the FOX network. I salute the brave men and women in Canada's armed forces with exactly the same amount of high respect that I salute our American troops and my fellow veterans.
Bill's Spirit
-Allan; What the Faux News insult and the comments of Phileas Fogg and Bad A above drive home is something that Canadians usually have too much grace to mention: it is really hard to be a friend and ally of the United States of America because Americans are often very ungrateful.
During the Iran Hostage Crisis back in the late 70s Canadian Ambassarod to Iran Ken Taylor spirited six Americans out of the country on fake Canadian passports, at great risk not only to himself and his staff but also to anyone else travelling under the Canadian passport.
In the first Gulf War (you remember, the one that there was actually a reason for fighting) Canada joined in the broad coalition that helped oust Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait.
On 9/11 when the American government declared American airspace closed hundreds of diverted flights landed in Canada, far more than our airports were set-up to receive, despite the unknown danger factor (how many terrorists still in the air?) and American travellers were put up by Canadian citizens all over the country.
Canada stood beside our American allies after 9/11 and have been fighting in Afghanistan since the beginning of that war, suffering the highest casualty rate of any NATO troops in the country. When George Bush decided to tell a bunch of lies and start a war of revenge against Iraq in 2003 Canada wisely stayed on the sidelines, unsatisfied with the rationale for the war.
After all this Faux News (not their satirical middle of the night show, either) called us "the Soviet Republic of Canuckistan".
I don't often resort to swearing in my comments on Gather, but the ingratitude of Americans for the lives spent by Canadians in defense of your country leads me to say to both FOX NEWS and anyone who share their point of view: FUCK YOU!
Rory M
-Wow!
Jane C
-Allan, I just read about this on a yahoo group I belong to for Canadians Living in the US and was thoroughly appalled by the remarks those asshats made.
Having some intimate knowledge of the Canadian Armed Forces through my father's relationship with the Winnipeg Militia district, Canadian Corps of Commisionnaires and DOD and with a brother who has served off and on in the Canadian Navy I was disgusted with the ignorance of some Americans on the role the Canadian Military has played not just in NATO but also as Peace Keeping Forces for the United Nations as well in WWI and WWII.
Canadians have always stepped up to the plate in defense of Canada and the US with the sole exception of the current war in Iraq. As referenced by Rory's comment.
I usually try to maintain a polite demeanor in these kinds of online discussions but in this I echo Rory's last paragraph... in fact I'll C+P it right here: "but the ingratitude of Americans for the lives spent by Canadians in defense of your country leads me to say to both FOX NEWS and anyone who share their point of view: FUCK YOU!" Kathleen ♥ L.,
-Allan; I think we need to lighten up here and enjoy the humor. Here is a funny parody on the Canadian military"
Join the Canadian Army! "Canada owns some of the most high-tech jets ever made, yes, both of them are state of the art!" B-)
Seriously, I think Canada blew it big time militarily, they had one of the best jets on the world, the Avro Arrow, but it was cancelled.
Charles "Wolverines!" M.,
-Chuckie you're right about the Arrow. All the Canadian engineers going to NASA after the Arrow was cancelled more than doubled their research staff and was an immense boost to putting a man on the moon. As to why it was cancelled we will unfortunately never know. The Arrow was the most advanced fighter in the WORLD at the time and a lot of people suspect that political pressure from the U.S. killed it because it resulted in too much competition for American defense contractors.
As for the parody of the Canadian Armed Forces it's not WHAT they said Chuck, it's HOW they said it!
-Allan; As an American Living in Canada with duel citizenship I am outraged with Fox and anyone who thinks our military or the death of our young people is funny.
A long time ago I wrote a post here asking if the American people know the names of the men and women serving their country who died every day. I wrote that because I was sick at heart every time one of our Canadians was killed.
The Canadian Government and media make sure we know as a county their names, we see their faces, and we attend their funerals and grieve with each and every family every day on television, in our papers and on the Internet. We line the highways with cars on the side of the road and people with flags are on the overpasses as the processions pass from our military bases and airports to the towns those dead men and women called home.
Why was the media in the US not allowed to film the coffins arriving daily? Do you remember the beginning of the war when the evening news named names, and numbers of dead? Bush put a stop to that didn't he?
I really believe if Americans had to witness each and every death, know the person who dies, meet their families and grieve with them - not just those from your own home town but everyone nationwide; the war would have ended by now.
I won't be turning on Fox anymore.
Digital Diva S
-Dear D.D. Most peole don't know this but the Canadian troops were given the most dangerous part of Afghanistan to patrol and as a percentage of population, Canada has suffered far more casualties than any other country in the Middle-East.
-Allan; FOX news is for the loonies of the country Allan. It is a stream of issues coloured to placate the unintelligent trying to make them think they know world issues.
By the way, I have been out a lot so have not had time to start reading your book yet, but it is on my desktop!
Georgiana S
-No problem, hope you enjoy it!
Allan
-Allan; When did it become OK for people to act like over-entitlted, frat boys? These people make me hang my head in shame.
Elizabeth O
-Allan; I'm not a big fan of Fox News, or any major cable news network, nor am I a big fan of ridiculing any military no matter it's role or size. However, I ask you this: were they making fun of the deaths like you seem to be saying, or were they just kind of teasing Canada?
I love Canada, and as a US citizen I am very jealous that you guys are picked on for maple syrup and hockey while we have people trying to blow our buildings up.
Dusty W
-Dusty: I get that. But is it simply teasing to go to your mother's funeral and start telling jokes about what a douchebag she was? No matter how well intentioned or jocular in spirit it might be, one simply comes across as a crass moron with no tact, no empathy and no brains.
On the day these freaks were "teasing Canada" about our involvement in the war in Afghanistan, four more Canadians were dying from a roadside bomb. Sure, they didn't know that, just like they didn't know we were even in the war. But that is not a reflection on Canada's military contribution but a reflection of how abyssmally ignorant they are (and how abyssmally ignorant they make Americans seem by extension).
Rory M.,
-Rory- Please, oh please, do not do what a moron would do and judge the US citizenry based on Fox News. They don't represent us, nor does Rush. Still, a lot of Americans are ignorant of a lot of things, but can't that be said of most citizens in other nations? I mean, if you asked someone in Toronto about the situation in Kosovo would they know more about it than someone in Chicago?
Dusty W
-Dusty: They might, but not because Canadians are smarter on average than Americans. Living in America is living in the centre of the media spotlight, and it is hard to see outside the glare of that light. Because America bears the burden of empire, Americans tend to be very inward looking, very consumed by their own narrative.
Watching Canadian news programs I find a lot more information about world events than I do watching American news programs. In fact, I only ever watch American news to get information on American events. It seems to be all they really cover well.
Rory M
-Rory; You cannot tell a whole group of people who are hellbent on maintaining a "We're Number One" status militarily that other people or countries, are not pussies. Americans will dis anybody who does not go along with their gun programs....thier gun status, their big gun anything....With courage comes a gun..... This includes Canada and Britiain.....
Shy Ann
Allan W Janssen is the author of the book The Plain Truth About God (What the mainstream religions don't want you to know......!) and is available as an E-Book H E R E ! and as a paperback H E R E !
Visit the blog "Perspective" at http://allans-perspective.blogspot.com
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