I send a lot of letters.
To help the message reach a little farther, I’ve decided to share them on my blog here so others can read these perspectives.
This one is written by the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute with some additional commentary by me. CFPI will likely forgive me for plagiarizing their letter, especially if you click the link in the comments to sign and send your own version. You can enter your email address and send as is or go into the letter text and adjust the wording to match your voice and sentiments.
Dear Defence Minister Bill Blair,
Canadian pride is on the rise these days and folks are proudly sharing the old iconic Molson “Joe Canadian” commercial with the powerful line, “we believe in peacekeeping not policing.” Indeed. Contrary to the clamour, this is NOT the time to pour money into the well of destruction that is the military.
And certainly not to any support for the US military.
Until Donald Trump stops threatening to annex Canada the military should pause officer exchanges with the US military.
The US president’s insults, border musings and economic assault have stirred significant anger with many Canadians canceling trips to the US. At the same time dozens of Canadian soldiers remain on exchanges with the US military. They should be brought home immediately.
Military exchanges have been a way for the US to exert influence with US-trained officers even participating in many international coups. Over the past couple decades most Chiefs of the Defence Staff have been trained in the US including current head Jennie Carignan, who trained at the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the School of Advanced Military Studies, in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Historically, exchanges have entangled Canada in US belligerence. While attending US Army War College in Texas Walter Natynczyk, who later became Chief of the Defence Staff, deployed to Iraq in 2004 as Deputy Commanding General III Corps. Natynczyk commanded the Multi-National Corps in Baghdad - in charge of 35,000 international troops - despite Canada not formally participating in the Iraq war. We must ensure Canadians don’t participate in Trump’s ongoing attacks on Yemen or elsewhere.
Canada’s armed forces should halt officer exchanges until the US president stops his economic siege and annexation threats.
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