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Why are you being so defensive? You are really puffing up your chest. These are the kind of ultra-defensive acts that make people think you guys have an inferiority complex.
We were just part of the British military back then. Anyways, the battle was mostly Australians and some Canadians and New Zealanders fighting in the 27th British Brigade and doing so under British command and with American air power. Seeing how these our countries besides the US weren't even independent, it sounds a bit disingenious to point to this skirmish as a symbol of Canadian military prowess. Botticelli got it right, Canada hasn't ever done anything of military significance other than being conquered by the Americans/British in 1760 (where English Canada comes from), providing the British with Canon fodder at Paschendaele, and being humiliated and destroyed at the raid on Dieppe in 1942 (The only "all-Canadian" battle I can think of). I don't know why we have to pretend otherwise. Why do some need us so desperately to be a military power? Any Canadian victories that have ever been won were really British victories, and won with a small Canadian contribution helping out the US, UK or some other country who was doing the major lifting.
Were there gays there? probably. Were there people OPENLY serving as gays? No, not a chance.
Hey, right on cue! I was expecting you. And once again no disappointing in your assumed role of being derisive of Canada and all things Canadians.
Of course openly gay people should be able serve. It's already a well-known fact that the Canadian military is already a complete and utter joke as it stands. How much worse could it get?
Oh my gawd!
Now that right there was as funny as all get out and showed some originality and departure from the mundane "Canada sucks" as displayed by other petulant malcontents. Very Good grasshopper.
Now that right there was as funny as all get out and showed some originality and departure from the mundane "Canada sucks" as displayed by other petulant malcontents. Very Good grasshopper.
No, Canada doesn't suck. It is a great country. That doesn't change the fact our armed forces is nothing but a clown hiding under the wings of the big guys. Please don't change the subject by making others sound bad.
The US etc will have no problem achieving anything without Canadian participation, isn't that a fact? When was the last time we did anything on our own? Oh, never. Why do you let your pride deny this obvious fact?
If Canada has no army, the world will function exactly as it is. This is how important our armed forces is. We can't even defend ourselves with that.
However this thread isn't about that. We do have an armed force (no matter how unimportant it is) and openly gay people should be allowed to serve.
Prove him wrong then, give us one example where the mighty Canadian army INDEPENDENTLY achieved anything significant in the world.
Avoid using examples where "Canadians fought bravely along with the powerful allies." We heard that too many times.
Most modern day militaries have been in a coalition of allies to accomplish joint goals.. This isn't to say that some couldn't accomplish goals independently, but that list isn't very extensive, especially vs a worthy foe!
Its really unfair to single out Canada as not going rogue If you will to accomplish some sort of unilateral military goal.. Its all the better for it really. I wouldn't have wanted Canada to unilaterally expand its military capabilities after WWII (when it was at its zenith in terms of capabilities) with the goal of accomplishing expansion by military might.. Canada could have easily developed nuclear weapons and become a more potent force but we took another path. Now we have a lean and in some ways potent smaller scale capabilities mainly in a support role. No we couldn't sustain a long term full scale war independently but as I said, most nations wouldn't be able to do that against at least a worthy foe. Heck even the most powerful military forces end up on the losing side when it comes to long term/full scale war with even medium capability opponents in terms of money and resources.
Canadian soldiers have been in a historical context very well regarded and considered potent.. Winston Churchill once said
"If I had Canadian soldiers, American technology, and British officers I could rule the world".
I think even though we have a lean force, the capability of our soldiers is still among the best in the world pound for pound.. Even with the inclusion of well trained gay soldiers into the mix!
Well, yeah, I understand that and I agree you shouldn't have to lie and hide, but by what acceptable methods or manners is openess declared? How should it be openly established with everyone else whether or not a person is gay and is not hiding or lying about it? In the military (or any other similar job that has to do with warfare) is there some reason why it would be necessary or be anyone's business for ANY person to know what ANY OTHER person's sexual orientation is? I don't care and frankly I don't want to know what anyone else's sexual orientation is and I don't like to see people publically acting out whatever their orientation is. I'm thinking there's probably a lot of other people who don't give a darn and don't want to know what other people's orientation is either.
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Oh come on. There's a difference between harassment and casual conversation. In the same way I may mention something my girlfriend said or did or whatever to a coworker at work or school, some person in the military just as well might casually mention something about a boyfriend. You don't have a right to not hear something you might not like if it isn't being jammed down your throat.
Sidenote: This whole discussion always reminds me of my grade 9 and 10 gym classes in high school. Every straight meathead-bro would avoid gay dudes in the locker room like the plague, as if just because someone is gay, they're inclined to either rape or be attracted to every man on Earth.
Sidenote: This whole discussion always reminds me of my grade 9 and 10 gym classes in high school. Every straight meathead-bro would avoid gay dudes in the locker room like the plague, as if just because someone is gay, they're inclined to either rape or be attracted to every man on Earth.
Its a good point - as if we can't control ourselves... If we were all a raging hormone than the present day workplace where women and men work together would be a hot mess. I'd like to think grown adults whether gay or straight can behave like professionals in a workplace.. Besides, in the locker room please, its not as if we haven't seen it before.....
I think a lot of straight men would be very surprised how absolutely not interested we are in them.. Aside from the obvious that they are straight, but also simply because there are way too many complications with such an attraction it would hardly be worth the effort.
I rarely agree with you, Botti, but on this matter, I have to:
We can extend this: you cannot comment on pro football unless you played it, you cannot comment on rush-hour traffic in Toronto unless you have driven in it, you cannot comment on the cost of home ownership unless you have owned one. And so on.
I'm reminded of one of the biggest bada**es to ever serve in the Canadian Forces--who happens to be a friend of mine, and who knew that deeply-closeted gays served alongside him. He's not gay--not after a couple of marriages, a few affairs, and fathering some kids--but he saw action as a UN peacekeeper, and as he said, "They [gays] were as well-trained and as effective as the rest of us; and if we were in a jam, they got us out; and if they were in a jam, we got them out. We were all a team, and we fought as a team, and what they did in their off-hours was up to them, as it was to all of us."
Me too. LOL
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