03-Nov-2009, 07:43 PM
Pleased you got back to the topic Alan as I was really interested when I saw that it was about Canada.The subject seems to have been derailed somewhat.
It is not a country that features much in the media over here and good on Charles for speaking about Canadian contributions and loss of Canadian lives in the current campaigns as they were also tragically lost in World Wars. Much history appears to have been forgotten now.I am not fanatically royalist but feel that the monarchy is much to be preferred to a Presidency-imagine a T.B. type let loose or worse a Mandelson to frighten us to death.
Just recently there was an article in the Daily Mail-hush my tongue[:I]-by Peter Hitchens whose views and biased writing I don't always like but he was on a visit to Canada and wrote his article from there .Wish I had cut it out but basically he wrote about the views of ordinary citizens about the war among other things and the sadness of the families who saw their loved ones returned in boxes from the Afghan conflict. Plus other snippets like the changed border controls between America and Canada and the importance to Canada in exports to the USA.
I feel deeply about this apparent lack of attention in this country to the fact that there are other countries involved in the current conflicts beside America and Britain.
Britain seems to be obsessed by all things European to the exclusion of other former loyal allies.
It hurts me when I see ads to persuade people not to buy NZ butter because of its 'carbon content' and the recent introduction to a 4 band Air Passenger Duty on all flights which heavily penalises Australia but lets Europe off lightly in comparison.
Another good move by Darling who has admitted it hasn't been done on green issues but because too much had been spent on the banks!!!!! and he has to recoup some.
Good for Britain that those merchant men who risked their lives bringing food parcels and dried fruit etc during the war didn't think about the distance travelled in their wish to help the 'mother country' as it was still called when I went there in 1958.
Anyway although I have not added much lately I do look in from the sidelines from time to time and love to read more about the places you live in.
It is not a country that features much in the media over here and good on Charles for speaking about Canadian contributions and loss of Canadian lives in the current campaigns as they were also tragically lost in World Wars. Much history appears to have been forgotten now.I am not fanatically royalist but feel that the monarchy is much to be preferred to a Presidency-imagine a T.B. type let loose or worse a Mandelson to frighten us to death.
Just recently there was an article in the Daily Mail-hush my tongue[:I]-by Peter Hitchens whose views and biased writing I don't always like but he was on a visit to Canada and wrote his article from there .Wish I had cut it out but basically he wrote about the views of ordinary citizens about the war among other things and the sadness of the families who saw their loved ones returned in boxes from the Afghan conflict. Plus other snippets like the changed border controls between America and Canada and the importance to Canada in exports to the USA.
I feel deeply about this apparent lack of attention in this country to the fact that there are other countries involved in the current conflicts beside America and Britain.
Britain seems to be obsessed by all things European to the exclusion of other former loyal allies.
It hurts me when I see ads to persuade people not to buy NZ butter because of its 'carbon content' and the recent introduction to a 4 band Air Passenger Duty on all flights which heavily penalises Australia but lets Europe off lightly in comparison.
Another good move by Darling who has admitted it hasn't been done on green issues but because too much had been spent on the banks!!!!! and he has to recoup some.
Good for Britain that those merchant men who risked their lives bringing food parcels and dried fruit etc during the war didn't think about the distance travelled in their wish to help the 'mother country' as it was still called when I went there in 1958.
Anyway although I have not added much lately I do look in from the sidelines from time to time and love to read more about the places you live in.
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