Re: "Canada has always been a warrior nation," Sept. 4.
Columnist Jack Granatstein informs us that Canada has always been a "warrior nation," not a peacekeeping nation. I think he means that the Canadian government has always been a warrior government. Even that is not entirely correct, since former prime minister Jean Chrétien's Liberals refused to join the U.S. in its lie-based attack on Iraq.
Regarding our participation in Afghanistan, almost throughout this occupation most Canadians have opposed the continuation of Canadian participation. They recognized that this was an illegitimate role for NATO, having nothing to do with protecting Canada or the North Atlantic Alliance.
The Harper government, elected by fewer than 40 per cent of voters, is trying to turn Canadians into supporters of a warrior government by using propaganda, TV ads and celebration of the 1812 war. In that war, the British and First Nations did most of the defending, and the results were inconclusive.
The Harper government dares not try to join in any Israel-U.S. attack on Iran, given that Israel and the U.S. - both with nuclear weapons - are proposing to attack a nation without them, or evidence that they are developing them.
I suspect that most Canadians are as resistant as I am to support that Canada is a warrior nation.
Edwin Daniel
Victoria
